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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22661533">Open the Skies</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Namarie/pseuds/Namarie'>Namarie</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Rittenhouse Empire [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Timeless (TV 2016)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alien Culture, Alternate Universe - Space, F/M, Gen, Science Fiction, This is weird, again some more</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 15:28:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>41,421</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22661533</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Namarie/pseuds/Namarie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After the Rittenhouse Empire's devastating attack on his home world, defeated Warrior Wyatt Logan is given a choice: be executed, be sent to a prison planet, or take the surprising job offer given to him by the Rittenhouse representative. But will he discover that Lucy Preston, daughter of two of the oldest Rittenhouse family lines, is worth protecting with his life?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Wyatt Logan/Lucy Preston</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Rittenhouse Empire [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2082210</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>58</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Yes, hello again, it's me with another weird AU! Heh.</p><p>This is a long one, of which I have a large portion written already. So, get ready for Lyatt in Space!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>~~<br/>Wyatt Logan didn’t struggle as he was led from his cell down the corridor of the Rittenhouse ship. The three soldiers (he supposed that should be flattering, that there were three of them) together were his equal in strength, he was pretty sure – and besides, the threat he’d been given yesterday, that any infraction on his part would lead to more mistreatment or even executions of his sisters and brothers, was an effective one. So he stayed silent and relatively cooperative as they led him to a specific door. Then one of them knocked on the smooth metallic surface, while the other two held their ceremonial but still very real Rittenhouse spears pointed at his sides.</p>
<p>The door opened, revealing an elegant-looking black-haired woman sitting on the other side of a table. She nodded to the soldiers, who escorted him inside. Then she looked right at him. “You must be <i>Vara</i> Wyatt Logan. It’s an honor to meet you, though I understand if you don’t believe me when I say it.”</p>
<p>He stared. That had all been spoken in perfect, if accented Resa. The southern dialect, his own home dialect, in fact. He hadn’t been expecting that. “And who are you?” he asked, pointedly using Standard.</p>
<p>The woman raised her eyebrows. “You speak Standard, then?”</p>
<p>“Of course,” he said. “We’re not all hopelessly backward savages just waiting for our benevolent Rittenhouse overlords to arrive and educate us.”</p>
<p>At that, one of the soldiers moved their spear to his throat, but the woman raised a hand and shook her head. The spear was removed – slowly.</p>
<p>“I apologize for the assumption,” was what she said next in Standard, again surprising him since she sounded sincere. “My name is Denise Christopher. I’m the overseer in charge of reconstruction here on Resann. That means I’m also in charge of deciding what should be done with all of your people’s captured Warriors.”</p>
<p>Reconstruction. Wyatt clenched his fists, even though the action made the cuffs around his wrists dig into his wrist spines. Such a nice Rittenhouse Empire euphemism for rebuilding a conquered world in their own image. The thought of what that meant for Resann made his heart grieve and fill with rage at the same time. And the implications of him being chosen as the one she talked to about this were also heartbreaking and rage-inducing. He already knew the commander was dead … but this little meeting implied that he could be the highest-ranking Warrior left.</p>
<p>Still, this woman hadn’t been involved in the invasion of Resann. Plus, he could tell by her appearance that she wasn’t from one of Rittenhouse’s original planets. Her people had probably been conquered sometime in the recent past, too. That was real empathy he could see in her expression, he was pretty sure. “So what do you want from me?” he asked, reining in his hostility a little bit.</p>
<p>“Please, have a seat,” she said, gesturing to the chair across from her. “You three can wait outside,” she said to the soldiers, as Wyatt moved to sit.</p>
<p>“Overseer,” said one of them, “are you sure? This is one of the dirty spikeback scum who took out our lead ship! He can’t be trusted.”</p>
<p>Wyatt stood up again, slowly, turning to glare at the man who had spoken. If his hands hadn’t been cuffed together in front of him, he might have forgotten the main reason for not attacking this guy. He was sure he could at least take him out before the others beat him into unconsciousness.</p>
<p>“I’m well aware of how our invasion went,” said Denise sharply. “Now, unless you’re telling me you doubt my own competence in having a conversation with a representative of the planet we just conquered, get out. I have my personal guard.”</p>
<p>The soldier gulped and nodded. “Yes, Overseer.” He and the two other soldiers who had brought Wyatt here bowed and left the room. The woman Denise had mentioned took a step forward. Wyatt was impressed; he had barely noticed her standing behind Denise. That took some skill, even with the camouflage cloak she was wearing.</p>
<p>“Please, sit, <i>Vara</i> Wyatt,” said Denise then. “And I hope you can accept my apologies for that comment from that guard.”</p>
<p>Wyatt nodded stiffly, sat down again, and said nothing.</p>
<p>“Thank you,” she said. Then she cleared her throat. “Now, I’m sure you and the rest of the remaining Resanni Warriors have heard about how things usually go for the inhabitants of planets where the Empire has just taken control. The majority of the remaining population will be left in peace, as long as they submit to the Empire’s laws. A portion of them will be taken off-planet to be trained in Rittenhouse schools and academies, but they will all be treated as equal citizens under the law. Education following the Empire system will be introduced, but only as a complement to the educational systems already in place.”</p>
<p>Wyatt nodded again. Rittenhouse wasn’t seeking to kill all other species in the galaxy. They wanted to be the rulers of an empire, and an empire meant living, healthy subjects with reasons to be loyal.</p>
<p>“As for the remaining soldiers, the fighting forces of these planets, they’re usually given a few options,” Denise went on, seeing his acknowledgment. “They can choose to be executed as enemies of the Empire. They can be sent to work in one of the Empire’s mines. Or, if they fit the profile of candidates that interest us, they can accept the Empire’s training and be assigned to various other jobs or roles with us.”</p>
<p>Again, that was all old news to Wyatt. But he’d already decided his own fate, and he doubted very strongly whether anything Denise had to say would change his mind. Still, there was no harm in listening. “Yes. So I’ve heard.”</p>
<p>“Good.” Denise folded her hands, and then looked at him with a penetrating gaze that still seemed somehow empathetic, even now. “I’m guessing I know what you would choose. In this line of work, I’ve interacted with many people in your position: rightfully proud of your heritage and your people, devastated by the loss you’ve just endured, and very understandably full of anger toward those who caused it. Why would you ever consider working with us?”</p>
<p>Wyatt stared back at her. She had shocked him once more. Surely Rittenhouse wouldn’t send anyone who wasn’t completely loyal to them out to one of their freshly-conquered worlds to clean up in the aftermath? But she didn’t sound like a true believer. And yet, here she was.</p>
<p>“I know,” said Denise, with a tiny wry smile. “It doesn’t make any sense, does it? My planet was invaded and conquered, too, just like Resann. I fought against the Empire. My heart broke when we were overwhelmed by their superior numbers. But now, just five years later, here I am.”</p>
<p>“So then, is she here to keep you in line, or keep you safe from me?” Wyatt dared to ask, gesturing toward the woman in the camouflage cloak.</p>
<p>Denise’s eyebrows rose, and then she laughed once. “A little of both, I’ll admit,” she told him. “Anyway, to make a long story short, the Rittenhouse representative that I talked to after the battle gave me an offer that I couldn’t just reject out of hand. He gave me the chance to do what I could to protect my people, to direct the path of how they would become an Empire-run planet. It was that, or execution and knowing that I could have helped my people but chose not to.”</p>
<p>Wyatt swallowed. If she wasn’t lying – and he really didn’t think she was – Denise’s story was compelling. “Is that what you’re offering me?”</p>
<p>“My terms are slightly different, but yes. You’ll be able to play a significant role in guiding how the Empire deals with the rest of the Resanni Warriors, especially,” Denise said. She sighed, her gaze roving to the parts of Wyatt’s crest that were visible from her viewpoint. “But I’ll warn you before I go any further: if you agree to my offer, the first step for you will still be something deeply unpleasant and no doubt offensive and humiliating for a Warrior of Resann.”</p>
<p>“What?” Wyatt told himself to breathe.</p>
<p>“Should you agree,” she said, “I’ve been ordered to have you – and any other Warrior who chooses something other than execution – taken to the ship’s physician. He and his team will sedate you, and then file down the majority of your crest.”</p>
<p>It was like she had just punched him in the gut. Wyatt drew back, swearing under his breath when the spikes running down his spine touched the chair back as he did so. Even imagining what she had just said… He fought back a wave of nausea. He wanted to stand up and yell at her, scream that he would never agree to such-- such sacrilege. But there was no point. As quickly as he had that thought, Wyatt remembered that the Empire had him right where it wanted him. They had already won. They could easily slaughter the rest of his caste – and hell, they could decide that any new Warriors born on the surface should be killed, too. That would probably seem logical to them, especially if there was no one with an intimate understanding of Resanni Warrior culture to give them any alternate ideas. After all, no outsider knew anything about the importance of <i>risa</i>, of balance among the three castes. So he dropped his gaze to his cuffed hands. “What are your terms?” he said, his voice toneless.</p>
<p>Denise sighed again, and then said, “You agree to two to three months of intensive study and training in Empire history and customs.” She paused, and went on, “I don’t want to call it straight-up propaganda, although that’s what a lot of it is. It will be genuinely helpful for you in preparing you for your new role, however. And it seems like you won’t need the language study portion.”</p>
<p>She had just called it propaganda, and her Empire-provided guard hadn’t objected. Wyatt had looked up just in time to confirm this. He blinked. This woman was not at all what he had expected, and neither was her guard. “And then what?” He met the Overseer’s gaze again.</p>
<p>“From what I know of your culture – and please feel free to correct me if I’m wrong – your caste thrives when they have a higher purpose to serve, something they can dedicate themselves to,” Denise said. She stopped, and then said, “Would you say that’s accurate?”</p>
<p>He’d never heard it stated like that before, but she wasn’t wrong. “Maybe, but if you think serving the good of Rittenhouse could ever be that cause--”</p>
<p>“No,” said the woman, holding up a hand. “No, that’s not what I meant. What I meant was, what if you personally had a purpose to serve that you could feel was worthwhile? Even if it involved helping the Empire as a sort of side effect.”</p>
<p>“Like what?”</p>
<p>Denise opened the file folder that had been on the table in front of her this whole time. “Like this woman. Lucy Preston.”</p>
<p>When Wyatt took the file from her (a bit awkwardly, given the handcuffs) and saw the bio at the top of the paper, he scoffed. “Cahill Preston, you mean.” The Cahills were Falaran, and they were Rittenhouse royalty. They were the original instigators of Rittenhouse taking to the stars to conquer all their neighbors. Come to think of it, Wyatt was sure he’d heard the name ‘Preston’ in the context of these Empire bigwigs, too. He tried to shove the paper back toward her, but Denise didn’t take it.</p>
<p>“Give me a minute to explain,” she said. “Lady Lucy is the firstborn and only daughter of Carol and Benjamin, whose names you might recognize. They happen to have a number of rivals and enemies, even within established Empire circles. As it happens, Lucy is within months of her thirty-first birthday, which is an extremely important milestone for any Falaran from a noble family. Because of those enemies I mentioned, she will need a personal guard. And I think it would be strategic for that guard to come from another race – a race no Falaran noble has yet had personal contact with … because, Wyatt, a personal guard can be an adviser. A counselor. Imagine the influence Lucy Preston’s guard could have on her, on how she sees herself in relation to the rest of the Empire.”</p>
<p>Wyatt looked down at the paper again. There was a picture there, of a shy-looking woman with long, wavy, dark brown hair, big dark eyes, and the pale white skin that was characteristic of Falaran nobles. She was beautiful, of course. For a Falaran. “She’s going to be in a position of power,” he said.</p>
<p>“Yes, exactly,” said Denise. “Even though as I hear it, she’s not very interested in the family business – but she doesn’t have much of a choice.”</p>
<p>That was interesting. Wyatt had just kind of assumed that all those nobles from those Rittenhouse families always had the same thirst for power and conquest. If this Lady Lucy was different, he wondered what had led her to feel that way.</p>
<p>“So. What do you think, <i>Vara</i> Wyatt?” The Overseer leaned back in her chair. “Will you accept a chance to influence a major part of the new generation of the Empire ruling class?”</p>
<p>He swallowed again. This was, in fact, a huge opportunity. Whether it was worth the sacrifice of his honor as a Warrior, or the chance to let Resann be the last thing he ever saw in his life… That was another question. He knew most of his fellow Warriors would see his acceptance as the worst kind of betrayal. Unless he used his new position to take vengeance on their enemies, maybe. Nothing Denise had said so far would prevent that latter option, if he saw a strategic opportunity.</p>
<p>“Oh, and I should mention,” Denise went on, “that if you take this offer, I’ll be in regular contact with you as I continue the job of reconstruction here. Your advice and input would be key.”</p>
<p>“What about the rest of my sisters and brothers? The rest of my caste?” Wyatt asked, setting the paper down on the table. He already knew what he had to choose, but he still needed to know this before he committed.</p>
<p>“I give you my word that they will all be given the best possible chance at being reintegrated into society – to stay alive, and be treated well.”</p>
<p>He sighed. That was it. That was the best they could get. If they were alive, then there was still hope, at least for them. And maybe for all of Resann. “I’ll do it,” he said. “On one condition.”</p>
<p>Denise nodded for him to go on.</p>
<p>“Take me to the ship’s physician now, and then--” He cleared his throat. “And then get me out of here afterward. I don’t want anyone here to see me like … that.”</p>
<p>“Understood,” said Denise, with a sad smile. “I can do that.”</p>
<p>~~<br/>Denise honestly wasn’t looking forward to this visit at all. But she would be shirking her duty if she let her unease get its way here, and besides, Wyatt Logan needed to know he hadn’t been forgotten as soon as he accepted her deal.</p>
<p>So she squared her shoulders and continued down the hall toward the medical bay. She had been informed that the Resanni Warrior had made it through the operation successfully, although there had been one minor unforeseen complication. That had all happened the previous evening. Wyatt had been recovering overnight, and was now ready to have a visitor before he was transferred – by his request – on his way to the Empire’s training course.</p>
<p>A guard opened the door to the medical bay for her. The chief medical officer’s assistant, a woman named Irena, met her right inside. “Overseer,” she said with a smile and a nod. “Are you here to check on our first Resanni Warrior patient?”</p>
<p>‘First.’ Denise hid her disgust at that reminder of what all of Wyatt’s fellow Warriors who had made it through the battle would have to undergo. “Yes, I am, Doctor. How’s he doing?”</p>
<p>Irena’s smile faded. “Hmm. Physically, he’s doing well,” she said. “We don’t anticipate any lasting problems during the rest of his recovery process. Plus, now that we know about the venom glands in the wrists, we won’t be surprised with future cases. But emotionally … mentally … it’s going to be more difficult for him.”</p>
<p>That was not surprising in the least. Denise sighed. “Thank you for the update,” she said. “He’s back there?”</p>
<p>Irena nodded toward the section of the room that was curtained off. There was a guard posted outside the curtain, who acknowledged her as she approached.</p>
<p>When she stepped through the curtain, the patient sitting on the bed inside with his back to her didn’t look up. Wyatt was staring at a spot on the floor, about three feet in front of him. He looked … diminished, without his crest. His wrists, she could just see from here, were bandaged, and he was hunched over – a posture entirely unsuitable for a proud Warrior. It only emphasized how wrong this whole situation was.</p>
<p>Denise cleared her throat, although she was sure he knew she was there already. “<i>Vara</i> Wyatt.”</p>
<p>The Warrior flinched, and then turned to glare at her. “<i>Don’t</i> call me that,” he snapped.</p>
<p>She walked around to get a better look at him, and was surprised to see that yes, in fact, the doctors had not removed the small spines on the sides of his face. She wondered at the reasoning behind that. “I apologize,” she said. There was obviously something more to that title than she knew, but this was clearly not the time to ask about it. “I’m only here to check up on you before you’re transferred to begin your training course.”</p>
<p>Wyatt had returned his gaze to that particular spot on the floor again. “I see. Well, I’m alive. So you can mark that off your list.”</p>
<p>Denise pulled the stool over and sat down in front of him, right in his line of sight. He deserved more than a brief visit, despite her preference of never telling this story to anyone. “On my home planet, everyone who joined any of our branches of the armed forces used to get body art to celebrate. The art starts – would start to accumulate as soon as they joined. It was part of our bonding rituals, I guess you could say, since we each created the body art for each other. And it was a point of pride, knowing that each of us had our own entirely unique stories permanently inked onto our skin, as well as having contributed to the stories of our fellow soldiers.”</p>
<p>She definitely had his attention, she saw. And unsurprisingly, he was looking at the parts of her skin that weren’t covered by her clothing that marked her as a high-ranking Empire official. She gave him a wry smile. “Yes. Well, perhaps you can imagine what the Empire decided, once they had conquered our planet.”</p>
<p>His eyes widened. “They made you get rid of it?”</p>
<p>“Some of the outlines are still visible in the right light, but mostly, yes,” she told him. There was no need to go into any further details there, she had already decided. She looked down at her hands. “Obviously, it’s not the same as something that is organic to you, that you develop naturally. But it was a … a deeply significant part of my identity for the majority of my life, until five years ago.”</p>
<p>Wyatt was silent for a while, pondering this. Then he said, “So how did you move past it?”</p>
<p>“It wasn’t easy,” she admitted. “And it only came with time. For the first few days after the procedure to remove my body art, I was too angry and depressed to start the job I was supposed to start with the Empire. The Rittenhouse representative who had recruited me got pretty frustrated with me, but even so, he was more patient than he was required to be.” Denise let out a breath. “But eventually, I realized there was only one way to get through this."</p>
<p>"Which was?" He was hanging on her words, Denise realized. She hoped this would be enough for him, as it eventually had been for her.</p>
<p>"I had to take things one day at a time. One problem at a time, to start, in the harder days."</p>
<p>He stared at her, and then looked down at his wrists again. "And ... that was enough to get you through it? The loss?"</p>
<p>For a moment, she saw her planet again, in the immediate aftermath of the Rittenhouse invasion. She took a slow breath in and let it out. "Well, even though it seemed like either my people’s gods didn’t care anymore, or they were judging me for my failure, I also made the choice to hold onto what was left of my faith.”</p>
<p>From the way he winced, Denise guessed he’d been thinking along similar lines in regard to his own faith. “Hm.”</p>
<p>There was a pause, and then Denise stood up. “You’ll have the rest of the day to recover here, and then if you’re ready, there will be a transport shuttle to take you to the next ship bound for the Empire training course.” When Wyatt didn’t reply right away, she pressed gently, “Can I tell the physician here that you’ll be ready?”</p>
<p>After another moment, the Warrior looked up and nodded. “Yes. I’ll be ready. Thank you.”</p>
<p>And while his posture was still not the same as before, Denise believed him.</p>
<p>~~<br/>Two Months Later</p>
<p>Lucy smoothed her hands over the front of her dress discreetly, telling herself once again that it was ridiculous to be nervous. She wasn’t the one potentially starting a new job. This mysterious new guy from the edge of Empire territory was the one whose worthiness was going to be examined. His worthiness to be her bodyguard. It would be the first time she had a guard that was only dedicated to <i>her</i> safety.</p>
<p>She glanced around her receiving room again, even though she was sure it was already perfectly ready. Nothing was out of place. That included, of course, her mother, who was sitting in the other chair looking utterly composed. “Don’t fidget, dear,” Carol Preston said, at that exact moment, not glancing up from the tablet she was holding. “You’re going to do fine, I’m sure.”</p>
<p>Lucy suppressed a sigh. Her mother’s constant little ways to remind her daughter that there was always room for improvement in her comportment were wearing on her more than usual lately. But at least she had extracted a promise from her mother that, no matter what, the bulk of this ‘interview’ was Lucy’s responsibility. Not her mother’s. This Resanni Warrior wasn’t coming to be her mother’s bodyguard, after all.</p>
<p>A few seconds later, there was a knock on the door. Neither Lucy nor Carol stood, although Lucy did call out, “Come in.”</p>
<p>The door opened, and her mother’s personal guard, Nera, entered. “Lady Preston, Lady Lucy, the prospective new guard for Lady Lucy has arrived. May I show him in?”</p>
<p>“Yes, please, Nera,” said Lucy, after half a second in which she remembered that this supposed to be her doing the talking.</p>
<p>Nera nodded, and then turned around. “Come in, then,” she said over her shoulder.</p>
<p>A few seconds later, the man of the moment came in. He bowed once, very correct, and then stood up straight. “Lady Preston. Lady Lucy. Wyatt Logan at your service.”</p>
<p>There had been almost no trace of an accent in those words, Lucy thought. Wyatt himself was certainly both impressive and striking: tall, with a figure that matched what she had heard of Resanni Warriors’ strength, intelligent blue eyes, and two wicked-looking knives at his belt. He was wearing a Falaran guard’s uniform under that exotic weapon belt. Something traditional from his home world, no doubt. Seeing the two together was strange, though not in a bad way. And then of course, there was the famous Resanni Warrior crest. Lucy was a little surprised to see that it was apparently limited to two spines on the sides of his face, extending until slightly below his sideburns. She had thought the crest would be more extensive than that.</p>
<p>“Well,” said her mother then, snapping Lucy out of her reverie and making her blush when she realized she’d been staring at the Warrior – and he had been staring right back without expression. “Welcome to <i>Falar’s Honor</i>, Wyatt. You’ve been the talk of the ship for the past week or so.”</p>
<p>“Thank you, ma’am,” said Wyatt with a nod.</p>
<p>“If you’re ready, Lucy and I would prefer to begin the trial right away,” her mother went on. “For my part, I’d like to be sure about my daughter’s safety as soon as possible.”</p>
<p>If Lucy had thought the Warrior was alert before, she was mistaken. He hadn’t really moved, and yet now it was obvious that he was ready to do so, ready to attack, at a moment’s notice. He nodded again. “I’m ready, ma’am.”</p>
<p>Lucy wasn’t looking forward to this next part. She didn’t enjoy being a spectator to violence, although she understood the logic of it here. At least she wouldn’t be experiencing it herself. She took a deep breath. “Then let’s begin it.”</p>
<p>Wyatt glanced at her for a second, before all of his attention focused on the soldier entering the room. This was Karl – the man who had shot up through the ranks by his sheer fighting skill and craftiness, despite being relatively young. He bowed to Lucy and her mother, and then gave the Warrior a once-over. Lucy was pretty sure she hadn’t imagined the faint sneer that crossed his face.</p>
<p>Then suddenly, so fast that Lucy almost missed it, Karl attacked. Wyatt was clearly not surprised, though. In fact, once Karl was within striking distance, he had his knives out, turning Karl’s attack into a retreat.</p>
<p>The skirmish was almost totally one-sided after that. Karl got in a few good strikes, but Wyatt turned aside each one with seeming ease. And then the Warrior started to drive Karl back across the room, step by step. Lucy could see Karl struggling to push back. Nothing he tried was working, though.</p>
<p>Finally, when Karl was only a few paces away from the opposite wall, he made a sudden lunge to the side, spinning toward his opponent then with his shortsword drawn. But Wyatt dodged again, and used Karl’s own momentum to grab him and throw him to the ground. The sword was flung out of his hand, and then the Warrior was crouching over him, one knife to his throat. Panting, Karl raised his hands. It was over.</p>
<p>There was a pause, and then Lucy looked at her mother with raised eyebrows. It was a silent question that her mother answered quickly. “Well. Wyatt, you can release Karl. I think you’ve proved your skills to everyone’s satisfaction.”</p>
<p>“I agree,” said Lucy.</p>
<p>Wyatt stood up, sheathed his knife, and then held out a hand for Karl. Karl ignored it, glowering and rolling over to stand up himself.</p>
<p>There were some formalities to go through after that, but it wasn’t too long before Lucy was handing Nera the sash in Lucy’s colors, so Nera could add it to Wyatt’s uniform and thereby mark the occasion and his position officially. Wyatt bowed to Lucy again once this was finished. Then Lucy’s mother kissed her on the cheek, and everyone else but Wyatt left.</p>
<p>As the door shut behind them, Lucy cleared her throat and smiled. “So, um. I feel like we should start by getting to know each other a little bit.”</p>
<p>“If you want to, ma’am,” was Wyatt’s not all that encouraging response. He took a few steps closer.</p>
<p>“Well, let me start by asking, what would you prefer me to call you?” she asked. They needed to start by agreeing on at least that much. “Wyatt, or-- I think I read in your file that your Resanni rank is <i>Vara</i>, so I could--”</p>
<p>“No!” he cut in, and for the first time she saw real emotion in his eyes. He cleared his throat and looked down for a second before going on, “I mean, you can just call me Wyatt, ma’am.”</p>
<p>“Okay.” That had obviously touched a nerve. Maybe she would ask about it – later, when they knew each other better. “As for me, I know it’s expected that you call me ‘Lady Lucy’ in public, but when it’s just us, Lucy is fine.”</p>
<p>He blinked, and then nodded slightly. “I’ll remember that.”</p>
<p>“Good.” Lucy smiled again, and held out a hand. “Then it’s nice to meet you, Wyatt. I’m Lucy.”</p>
<p>Wyatt hesitated, but then reached out and shook it. “Nice to meet you, too … Lucy.” And if he didn’t smile, then at least his expression wasn’t that carefully blank one he’d been wearing up until a few minutes ago.</p>
<p>The next few minutes were occupied with Lucy giving her new bodyguard a quick tour of her quarters, and then coming back out to the receiving room. “So – any questions?”</p>
<p>He glanced around, and then said, “Yes, actually. Do you and your family spend all your time on this ship, or do you go back to the surface sometimes?”</p>
<p>“My family?” Lucy blinked. “Oh, you mean my parents? My father doesn’t spend much time here or on the surface lately. His position means he travels around the Empire most of the time. My mother and I have been on this ship for the past two-- no, almost three years. We’ll be returning to the surface soon, though.”</p>
<p>Wyatt nodded. “For your birthday. Is that right?”</p>
<p>Lucy supposed he would have heard about that. It was big news, after all. She shivered and rubbed her hands together. “Yeah.”</p>
<p>Wyatt opened his mouth, and then closed it again, looking away.</p>
<p>“What is it?”</p>
<p>“It’s just--” He cleared his throat. “I’ve been through your Empire’s crash course in history and cultures of the United Worlds and all of that, but I feel like I must still be missing something. Something that is important for me to know, now that I’m officially your bodyguard, ma’am.”</p>
<p>Lucy considered for just a second that this man had in all likelihood come fresh from the battlefield of his home planet, been thrown into the Empire’s “crash course”, as he put it, and was now expected to be part of Empire society – all in much less than a year. He was obviously a fast learner, but it was hardly surprising that there were some holes in his knowledge and understanding of their current situation. “Feel free to ask me whatever you need to know,” she told him. “I’ll do my best to answer.”</p>
<p>“I know this birthday is especially important for Falaran nobles, but I don’t know why,” said Wyatt. “Only that it has to do with some kind of transition.”</p>
<p>Lucy fought back another shiver. He was right; as her guard, he did need to know more about this issue. Which didn’t mean she was excited to talk about it. “Let’s sit first,” she suggested, gesturing toward the sofa. He waited for her to sit before following – not sitting too close, of course, but she was pleased to note that he hadn’t chosen the farthest away seat, either.</p>
<p>“A Falaran noble’s thirty-first birthday is very important, like you said,” she began, trying to put her thoughts in order. She’d never had to explain this to anyone. “And it does involve a transition. <i>The</i> Transition.”</p>
<p>Wyatt looked at her blankly, rubbing the back of his neck. “What does that mean?”</p>
<p>She laughed once, without humor. “Sorry. It’s just … my whole life has been building to that day, so I guess this is a good reminder that not everything in the universe revolves around me and my future.”</p>
<p>With that, she told him about how Falaran nobles typically lived at least two hundred years, and often longer. How that meant she was still considered a child, and would be until her upcoming birthday. “And then on that day, Falaran nobles start to undergo their Transition to adulthood. It’s not just an arbitrary birthday. I’ll actually change.”</p>
<p>Wyatt raised his eyebrows. “Change how? Your mother doesn’t look that different from you. I mean--”</p>
<p>“I know what you mean,” she said. “We don’t make it obvious. But after about two weeks of the metamorphosis process, I’ll come out with wings.”</p>
<p>At that, his jaw dropped and he stared at her for a good ten seconds. Then he said, “All right. Wings. But your mother...”</p>
<p>“She has them,” Lucy said, looking down at her hands. “But like I said, it’s not something we show off. It’s-- I mean, we can’t actually fly anymore. So it’s really just become a private thing among Falaran noblewomen. And their husbands.”</p>
<p>Her new bodyguard nodded slowly. Then he said, “Wait. Noblewomen? So men don’t do this Transition thing?”</p>
<p>“No,” said Lucy. “I mean, they’re still considered children until they’re thirty-one, too. But they don’t go through any particular change at that time.”</p>
<p>Something flickered across his face, but all he said was, “I see. And when you say ‘two weeks of the metamorphosis process’, what does that mean exactly?”</p>
<p>“It means I’ll be inside what’s basically a cocoon during those two weeks,” Lucy explained. She shivered again. Her mother had assured her that she wouldn’t really be conscious while she was in her cocoon, but the thought of being trapped in such a small space was still awful. “Which is part of why I need a guard right now especially – someone who can devote all their time to watching over me while I have no way of looking after myself. My parents have a lot of enemies.”</p>
<p>Wyatt’s eyebrows rose again. “Huh.” His gaze traveled over her, and she was sure it lingered on her back and shoulders for a little while. Then he met her eyes. “Thank you for telling me. I know it’s something I needed to know, but I can guess it’s not a comfortable subject to talk about with a stranger, so I still appreciate it.”</p>
<p>Lucy nodded. Then she smoothed her hands over her dress again. “So. Do you mind if I ask you a question, Wyatt?”</p>
<p>“Go ahead, ma’am,” he said.</p>
<p>“What brought you all the way from the edge of the Empire to the center?”</p>
<p>His eyes went wide for a moment, and then he let out a laugh and shook his head, muttering something under his breath in a language she didn’t understand.</p>
<p>“You don’t want to answer?” She had thought they were gaining some ground here.</p>
<p>“No, believe me, I do,” he told her, “but … can I be blunt here, or do you want me to just give you something easy like, 'it was a good opportunity for career advancement'?”</p>
<p>“Of course you can speak freely,” she said, raising a hand in invitation. “I try not to be easily offended.”</p>
<p>He gave her a sharp look, but when he saw she meant it, he took a breath. “All right. I want to answer your question honestly, but I’m not sure-- I mean, most Rittenhouse people I’ve met, they don’t want to hear the true answer. Not really. So I just want to make sure that’s the question you want to start with.”</p>
<p>Now she was intrigued, even aside from the fact that he was the only person she’d ever met to call her a ‘Rittenhouse person’. “And what do you think will happen if I don’t like your answer?”</p>
<p>He shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck again. “You could fire me.”</p>
<p>There was a tiny hint of real fear there, Lucy thought. She didn’t have to consider for too long the implications of a lone Resanni Warrior finding himself without a job while onboard one of the Empire’s flagships to understand why. “Then let me give you a promise first: I will not fire you, no matter what you say in answer to my question – unless it somehow shows me you can’t do your job.”</p>
<p>“All right,” Wyatt said. “I’ll take you at your word, ma’am.”</p>
<p>“Thank you.”</p>
<p>~~</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>~~<br/>Even after his new charge/boss (which was a strange combination that none of his preparation for this role had ever really settled for him) had promised not to fire him, Wyatt still made sure to word his response very carefully. “You asked me for the truth about what brought me here, from all the way at the edge of the Empire,” he began. He took a deep breath and let it out. He would need to find a way to make this as clear to Lucy as possible, without losing control of his emotions or sounding like he was attacking her directly. “The short answer is, it was the best option I was given, after I was taken captive by Rittenhouse’s forces after my planet fell to their invasion force.”</p>
<p>Lucy’s eyes widened. He wondered what she had heard about the attack on Resann – what she learned about any of her Empire’s attacks against peaceful worlds whose people just wanted to be left alone. Probably something along the same lines as he heard in his intensive training course: some garbage about how yet another race had accepted the help of the Empire to bring about peace between warring factions on their world, and then become allies as a result of such invaluable, selfless problem solving. He hoped she would at least hear him out. “Most of my fellow Warriors – almost my entire caste – were wiped out when we tried to defend Resann from the invaders. But I survived, and the Empire knows they can’t hope for a loyal populace on a newly-conquered world if they don’t at least pretend to be merciful to the survivors. So I was offered the choice of going to work in one of the Empire’s mines, or --” She already looked horrified. Wyatt decided to skip the execution option. “Or trying to work for my people’s benefit from inside the system, instead. That’s what I chose.”</p>
<p>Wyatt paused then. He had more he could say, of course, but he wanted to give Lucy a chance to start processing this much first.</p>
<p>The woman in question stood up shortly after he stopped talking. She started to pace. “You’re saying that no one on your home world actually invited or wanted the Empire to come, to help bring peace between warring tribes.”</p>
<p>Wyatt thought back to the weeks leading up to the invasion, when everyone knew it was coming. “No. Maybe there were a few people who had reasons to want them to come, but we didn’t need them to bring peace. There hadn’t been anything like a real war between the Northern and Southern tribes in a decade. We were fine.” His voice came dangerously close to shaking at the end of that sentence. He looked away. “Although I guess they did bring peace, since almost all of our Warriors from all our tribes are dead. So I’ll give them that.”</p>
<p>Lucy was staring at him. He could feel it, but he couldn’t bring himself to look at her at the moment. She took an unsteady breath. “Wyatt. If-- if this is true, and don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I doubt you – then I don’t understand how you could be here. How you could stand to even be in the same room as me.”</p>
<p>At that, Wyatt looked up. “I told you. This was the best option I had to work for my people’s benefit.”</p>
<p>“How is being a bodyguard for one of the Empire’s founding families possibly useful to your people?”</p>
<p>This was going to be another test, Wyatt thought. If Lucy took this well, then that was a good indication of how their whole relationship could go in the future. If she didn’t … well, he honestly didn’t know what could happen. Other than losing his job, of course. He still had to go for it, though. “Because it means I have the chance to influence someone who will be making decisions about the Empire’s actions in the future,” he said.</p>
<p>Her eyes widened. “Oh.”</p>
<p>They both fell silent for a little while after that, and Lucy came to sit back down on the couch. “I’m sorry I didn’t ever investigate the propaganda that the Empire has fed me my entire life. It’s not like I never wondered – but that’s all the more reason I should have dug deeper myself.”</p>
<p>It took a second, and then Wyatt almost swore again, this time in pure amazement. He had underestimated this woman, or so it seemed. “I, uh. I appreciate that, ma’am,” he managed to say. “But the most important thing for me is that you believe me. We can start there.”</p>
<p>She nodded, but then went on, “Seriously, though. I’ve always been interested in history. To learn that so much of what I’ve been taught has to be lies...” Then her expression brightened before getting somber again. “Would you consider letting me write down an accurate account of-- of what happened to your home world, Wyatt? I’m guessing it wouldn’t be easy to go through it all again, but if I recorded it, then maybe we could find a good way to get the real story out there. Discreetly, of course.”</p>
<p>And now Wyatt had to clear his throat before he could even speak. “Are you serious?” was what came out then, and he knew he was blushing. “I’m sorry, ma’am. I mean to say, this is a lot more than I was expecting.” It could be some kind of elaborate trap, he reminded himself. She seemed so sincere, but he would still have to be careful. Just because she had shared honestly with him about her upcoming Transition didn’t mean his charge/boss was sympathetic to the Resanni cause over the one she’d been part of all her life.</p>
<p>Maybe she saw his uncertainty, because Lucy said, “Something to think about as a possibility, anyway.”</p>
<p>“Yes, ma’am,” he agreed. He would definitely be thinking about it a lot.</p>
<p>~~<br/>As it turned out, Lucy and her new bodyguard didn’t have much chance for further conversation, since her schedule was busy for the rest of the day. First, there was lunch with her mother and a few of Carol Preston’s “friends” who could be more accurately described as fellow noblewomen who detested the Preston line but were allies nonetheless. Then there was Lucy’s usual time studying with the ship’s archivist. It wasn’t until well after dinner that Lucy was alone with her guard again, back in her rooms.</p>
<p>That wasn’t to say that Wyatt had been ignored during all of this; in fact, he’d attracted plenty of attention. Most of that attention had made Lucy cringe inwardly, even though Wyatt had taken it like a true professional. But she herself had wanted to sink through the floor after one of her mother’s younger lunch guests had said something in a simpering, giggling voice about what an “impressive specimen” Lucy’s new Warrior bodyguard was. And then her mother had overheard, and had said more loudly, “Yes, we’re particularly fortunate to be in a position to welcome the first Resanni representative into the Empire, after his planet’s successful integration into the United Worlds.”</p>
<p>Lucy was sure she hadn’t imagined the tension that had appeared in Wyatt’s bearing after that comment. Considering what he had told her about the truth behind that “integration”, it was no wonder. But all he had done was bow slightly from his position at the edge of the room and stay silent.</p>
<p>Letting out a sigh as she started removing all of the pins from her hair, Lucy sank down onto the couch. “So. Just for your information, that day was a fairly accurate introduction to my normal life, until my birthday that is.”</p>
<p>Wyatt took off his sash and folded it carefully. “I see.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry about the comments you heard from those ignorant people,” she went on. “It’s not a good excuse, but it’s true that we don’t often get, ah, newcomers all the way here at the middle of things.”</p>
<p>He shrugged. “It’s not a big problem. I already knew one of the reasons I got this job was so that your family would have one more status symbol.”</p>
<p>Lucy winced. That was … probably true. “Well, I apologize anyway.”</p>
<p>“I appreciate that.”</p>
<p>~~<br/>It was the following evening, after Lucy had retired to her rooms for the night, that Wyatt got his first communication from Denise Christopher, as she’d promised. She had sent a recorded video message to him. That had come with an attached comment that she didn’t want to interrupt his work with a message request if he was busy.</p>
<p>Wyatt ended up being glad that she hadn’t sent it when he was with Lucy. He guessed he should have expected it, but even seeing a little bit of Resann out the window behind the Overseer was enough to make him gasp and swallow back tears. He missed it. Even as busy as he had been since leaving, he always missed it. His emotional response was strong enough that he had to restart the video so he could actually listen to what Denise was saying.</p>
<p>It sounded like ‘reconstruction’ was going pretty well. She didn’t offer lots of details, though, which made Wyatt frown and hope there wasn’t something going on that she didn’t want him to hear. But at any rate, she had a few questions for him about the best ways of including the remaining Warriors in the rebuilding of destroyed structures and towns. Wyatt took a few minutes to consider, and then sent back a written answer that he hoped was clear and useful. He thought about asking Denise if she was going to tell anyone where she was getting this advice – which he hoped she wasn’t – but then decided not to. She knew what she was doing. She had to know his name wouldn’t be a helpful recommendation to his people – not now, and maybe not ever again.</p>
<p>Even with that depressing thought, though, the message Denise had sent was a good reminder. Wyatt set down his tablet, shut his eyes, and tried to clear his mind. It had been at least a week since he had last spent any real time in meditation. It would be good for him. Maybe he could manage to make it a habit, here in this place that would be his home for the next while.</p>
<p>~<br/>Two Weeks Later</p>
<p>He was just finishing up with the bandage on his upper arm when there was a light knock on the doorframe of his room. That wasn’t enough time for him to try to put his outer shirt on before Lucy had stepped inside. He stood up quickly.</p>
<p>“I just wanted to make sure you were-- oh.” Lucy stopped, eyes widening a bit. Her cheeks reddened. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to...”</p>
<p>“It’s fine,” said Wyatt, trying not to show his amusement at her obvious embarrassment. She didn’t interact closely with that many non-females in her daily life, he realized. “What did you want to say?”</p>
<p>“I wanted to make sure you were all right,” she said. She cleared her throat. “Because of your injury, I mean.” She pointed at the bandage. “But I see you already changed the bandage, so...”</p>
<p>He smiled at that, oddly touched. “Yes, it’s fine, ma’am,” he told her. The attacker hadn't put up much of a fight, though of course this incident had been a stark reminder of why Lucy did need a bodyguard. “Thank you for checking. I’m sure it’ll be healed up completely in a few days, and it won't be a problem for me to do my job until then.”</p>
<p>“Good,” she said, returning the smile. “And thank you.” She made as if to turn to leave then, but he saw her gaze travel to the dark patches on his wrists and shoulders. Her smile faded.</p>
<p>“Do you have a question you’d like to ask me, ma’am?” Wyatt asked. He kept his voice level. After two weeks – weeks in which she had never once showed him anything but trust and willingness to listen – maybe it was time for her to know.</p>
<p>Lucy blushed again. “I-- Only if you’re all right with telling me.”</p>
<p>With a sigh, Wyatt went back over to his bed and sat down. “You want to ask about these,” he said, pointing at the marks on his wrists, and then gesturing at his shoulders.</p>
<p>“Yes,” she admitted. “But you don’t <i>have</i> to tell me anything.”</p>
<p>“You should maybe sit down,” he said, nodding toward the single chair. “It’s a bit of a long story. And, uh, I should warn you: it’s … not going to to be easy for you to hear.”</p>
<p>Hesitant, Lucy watched his face as she came over and sat. “Something else that I never learned in my Empire education?”</p>
<p>“You could say that,” he said. He paused then, trying to decide where to start. “Uh. So, I’m guessing when you first saw me, you were – surprised by how I looked. How I don’t have much of a crest.” The words were still hard to get out. He swallowed.</p>
<p>Lucy looked embarrassed again – or almost ashamed. “No, I-- Wyatt, it’s not that--”</p>
<p>“I’ve gotten that reaction before,” he cut her off. “At the training facility I was sent to, after my planet was conquered. Everyone had heard of the <i>exotic</i> Warrior Caste Resanni, and they had seen pictures, so they were disappointed when they saw me with just these.” He waved a hand toward his face. “Which only makes sense.”</p>
<p>She was quiet. Wyatt cleared his throat, almost reaching up to rub at the back of his neck before he stopped himself. “Do you remember when you asked me if you should call me <i>Vara</i>?”</p>
<p>Lucy nodded. “You-- you really didn’t want me to.”</p>
<p>“Right,” he said. “That’s because it’s not just a rank. It has a specific meaning for Warriors who have reached a specific stage, which is reflected in their crest. If you translated it literally, it would be...” He thought for a moment. “It would mean something like, ‘fourth level’. ‘Level four’? I’m not sure which is better.”</p>
<p>“Both communicate pretty well,” said Lucy. “But … how does that tie in with crests?”</p>
<p>He clenched his fists, memories of waking up after that horrific procedure rushing back to him. Without looking at her, he held out his hands. “I should have – I used to have spines here, on my wrists,” he choked out. “And on my shoulders, and-- and on my neck and back. Fourteen others.” He breathed in and out slowly, still staring at his own hands. “As part of becoming ‘integrated’ into the Empire, all of us who were left, they-- they cut them off.”</p>
<p>There was dead silence for several long seconds, and then Lucy said, her voice quavering, “Did it hurt?”</p>
<p>“Not while it was happening,” he told her. “I wasn’t awake. But afterward...” He didn’t feel like going into detail there, or admitting that there was always some pain.</p>
<p>“Gods,” she breathed. Her voice got louder and angrier as she said, “And the Empire pretends that we’re the civilized ones, when we--” Her voice cracked. “Why? What possible reason could there be, to force you to go through that?”</p>
<p>He looked up then, startled to see the tears in her eyes. “I didn’t ask, but I suppose it was meant to humiliate us further and make certain we knew we were powerless. And a very small part of the reason was probably because otherwise we would look too different from almost everyone else, now that we’re all part of the same Empire.”</p>
<p>She looked even angrier now. She stood up, wiping the tears off her face. “That’s barbaric! That’s-- that’s just plain cruelty.”</p>
<p>Wyatt had nothing to say to that. He felt that cruelty every day. Hell, every time he put on one of his two remaining traditional shirts made for his caste, it was another reminder that he was no longer a <i>vara</i>. Even a four-year-old Warrior had more of a crest than he did now. And he’d agreed to it. He had allowed it to happen, to himself and to his sisters and brothers.</p>
<p>“Will it ever … grow back?” Lucy asked, into the silence that had fallen.</p>
<p>Wyatt stared at her. He had never even considered that possibility. Then again, no Warrior in recorded history had ever had their crest removed, so how would he know? The older veterans whose crests had been damaged in battle never grew any new spines to replace theirs that were damaged. “I...” No, it was too much to hope for. “I doubt it.” He stood up again, and gave her a tiny smile. “It’s a nice thought, though. I appreciate it. But I’ll never be a <i>vara</i> again.” I don’t deserve it anyway, he didn’t add.</p>
<p>She opened her mouth, like there was something she wanted to say in response to that. Instead, she just sighed and nodded. “I’m so sorry, Wyatt,” she said quietly. “I wish there was something I could do.”</p>
<p>She really did wish that, Wyatt thought. Which was kind of amazing. “Thank you, Lucy. Don’t worry about it too much, though. It’s done.”</p>
<p>Lucy didn’t linger in his room after that, for which Wyatt was grateful. He was going to need time alone to recenter himself, to think about other things, if he wanted to have any hope of sleeping that night.</p>
<p>~<br/>Lucy was noticeably quieter over the next two days. At first, Wyatt was slightly worried he had overstepped in answering her question – but then he shook that off. It wasn’t all about him. It probably wasn’t about him at all, in fact, since her birthday and Transition were coming up very soon now.</p>
<p>One afternoon, while Lucy was getting in one final session with the ship’s archivist two days before they would be going to the planet’s surface, Wyatt was surprised to be pulled away from the archives by Lucy’s mother Lady Preston and her guard. Nera, he thought the guard’s name was.</p>
<p>“Is something wrong, Lady Preston?” he asked her, looking over his shoulder toward the door to the archives, where Lucy was. His hands twitched toward his weapon belt.</p>
<p>“No, nothing is wrong, Wyatt,” said the woman. She smiled slightly. “And don’t worry – Nera will watch over Lucy while we talk.”</p>
<p>That was a relief. Nera was very capable. He turned his attention fully on Lady Preston. “All right. Then what is it, ma’am?”</p>
<p>“I want to be sure you’re fully prepared, since your duties are going to have to change significantly during my daughter’s Transition,” she explained. “So, if you don’t object, we’ll step into this room here so I can offer you a more detailed rundown of what you can expect.”</p>
<p>Wyatt nodded, following her into the small room just off the main hall. “I appreciate any information or advice you have to give me, ma’am,” he told her sincerely. His dislike for this woman and his hatred for everything she stood for didn’t mean that wasn’t true.</p>
<p>“Good.” She gave him another smile, wider this time. “Well. To start with, I imagine Lucy has told you the basics of what she’ll be undergoing.”</p>
<p>“Yes, ma’am,” Wyatt confirmed. “She told me she’ll be in a, uh, cocoon for about two weeks, and when she comes out, she’ll have...”</p>
<p>“Wings,” said Lady Preston with a nod. “Purely ornamental, of course. Falaran noblewomen haven’t actually been able to fly for generations. But yes, that’s all correct. I’m going to guess she didn’t tell you much more than that?” When he confirmed that as well, she said, “All right. Then the first thing you should know is that she will choose the location of her cocoon herself, instinctively. It’s important that you don’t get in her way while she’s doing this. She’ll be very single-minded. In fact, she won’t be willing to interact with anyone at all during this phase.”</p>
<p>“I see,” he said. That sounded like it would be strange to witness, but then again, this whole situation was like nothing he’d ever heard of. “I’ll keep that in mind.”</p>
<p>“Right. The second thing is, this location will most likely be outside. Of course, this means it will harder to guard her effectively – which is one of the main reasons we were interested in bringing you in as her personal guard, since your caste has such an impressive reputation.”</p>
<p>Wyatt brushed aside the praise. “When you say ‘outside’, what does that entail: just outside her home, or further out in a garden or park, or what? Will I have the chance to--”</p>
<p>“You will have the chance to review the plans of the house and the grounds,” she interrupted, without irritation. “And as to what area she will choose, that can’t be predicted ahead of time, but it is more likely than not going to be a sheltered area not too far from the house.”</p>
<p>That eased his mind a little. It was only logical, though, that if this choice was instinctive, it would include at least some consideration of safety. “That’s good to know.”</p>
<p>“And I appreciate that you’re already taking this so seriously, and thinking along strategy lines,” Lady Preston said approvingly. “Nera will see to it that you get the plans this evening. She’ll also brief you on the threats of which we’re aware. I do have one question for you now, though, Wyatt.”</p>
<p>“Yes, Lady Preston?”</p>
<p>“How long do you think you can go without sleep – safely, without dropping off involuntarily for any measurable length of time?”</p>
<p>He raised his eyebrows. “Uh, not two entire weeks, ma’am.”</p>
<p>Laughing, the woman shook her head and said, “No, no, that’s not what I was expecting. I asked because we need to determine shifts for guarding Lucy while she’s in her cocoon, and there aren’t very many of our people whom I would trust to be on that roster.”</p>
<p>“Ah.” That made more sense. “In that case, knowing that the need to be on alert for as many hours in the day as possible is only for that limited time, I can say give me two solid hours out of every twenty-four for sleep. One break during the remaining hours for food.”</p>
<p>It was Lady Preston’s turn to raise her eyebrows. “Two hours and a break? That’s all you need, and you’ll stay functional with just that?”</p>
<p>What was the word? Ah. “Minimum,” he said. “That’s what you asked, isn’t it, ma’am?”</p>
<p>She looked surprised and even a little affronted for a second. Then she chuckled. “Yes, that is what I asked. And given your answer, I think we can work out a roster that makes sense and keeps Lucy very safe.”</p>
<p>“I’ll do everything I can, Lady Preston,” he said. Once again, he meant it.</p>
<p>“Wonderful.” Lucy’s mother patted him on the arm. “Then let’s get you back to your duties, Wyatt. I’m sure Lucy is almost finished with today’s research.”</p>
<p>Gritting his teeth at her patronizing, Wyatt followed her back out of the room. It was too bad he liked Lucy – and also wanted to keep this job and keep his people safe as best he could. Otherwise, it would have been tempting to show this high and mighty Falaran what happened when someone disrespected a Resanni Warrior.</p>
<p>~~</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks to those who have given this story a try!</p>
<p>And in case anyone has noticed and wondered at the similarities, yes, I have taken some inspiration from <i>Babylon 5</i> with the whole caste idea for the people of Resann.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>~~<br/>
All too soon for Lucy’s tastes, <i>Falar’s Honor</i> was headed for the surface. Tomorrow was the day. Physically, she was ready. She had been eating the recommended diet this entire week, and she knew she was healthy. Mentally, though… She sighed, resolutely turning away from her closet – where tomorrow’s outfit was ready – and went out into her sitting room.</p><p>Wyatt was there, with an impressive array of weapons spread out on the sitting room table. He looked up when she came in, and stood up hastily. “Sorry, ma’am,” he said sheepishly, bending back down toward the table. “I’ll, uh, put these away. I thought you were getting ready to sleep.”</p><p>“It’s fine, Wyatt,” she assured him. “Don’t let me interrupt. I just … I don’t think I’ll be getting much sleep tonight.”</p><p>He just nodded in response. “If you’re sure this won’t bother you...”</p><p>“Not at all.” Lucy came over and sat down, allowing Wyatt plenty of space to finish getting his various knives and other dangerous objects ready. Weapons that he was no doubt planning to use to defend her, while she was Transitioning. She shivered.</p><p>“What is that?”</p><p>Wyatt’s question made her look up and meet his eyes. “What?”</p><p>“You just – shook. And it’s not the first time I’ve seen you look scared when you talk about or think about this Transition.” He moved a little closer, leaving aside his weapons for the moment. “I think I’ve seen enough in the past couple of weeks to know you don’t scare easily. So what is it about this that scares you?”</p><p>Lucy took a breath. He wasn’t judging her, she could tell. It was just that he had made an observation, and was curious about it. “It’s a lot of things,” she said, folding her hands together in her lap.</p><p>“Such as?” He wasn’t going to give up that easily, it seemed.</p><p>“Well, one part of it is, I-- I hate small spaces.” At his raised brow and glance around them, she laughed a little. “I mean, smaller than the interior rooms of a spaceship, obviously. And it doesn’t get much more restrictive than a cocoon that will be all around me.”</p><p>Wyatt nodded slowly. “I suppose you’re right. But on the other hand, I heard you’ll be pretty single-minded, focused on your goal when it gets to that point. So maybe you won’t notice that it bothers you.”</p><p>“Yeah, maybe,” she granted. Then she stopped. “Wait. Where did you hear that?”</p><p>“Oh.” He frowned. “I just-- I thought she would have told you she was going to talk to me. Your mother.”</p><p>Lucy restrained herself from letting out another sigh. Of course. Of course her mother had taken it upon herself to give her daughter’s personal guard more instructions. “Ah. Well, I’m sure she was just trying to be helpful.”</p><p>Wyatt said nothing to that, although for a few moments his face was back to that careful blank mask he had worn so much of the time at first. Then he said, “What else? You said there was more to it than that.”</p><p>She kind of wished he hadn’t remembered. This was the part that she really didn’t want to talk about … although it was nice to have someone not a part of her family to discuss this with. She wasn’t sure she’d ever had that chance before. “It’s more what will happen after I’m through with the Transition,” she said.</p><p>“I thought you said you-- you weren’t going to change all that much, other than the wings.” He looked briefly alarmed.</p><p>“No – I mean, yes, that’s the only real physical change that’s going to happen,” she told him. “But it means I’ll be an adult. Ready to be matched with a spouse, and ready to take up my position in the Empire. It doesn’t matter that I...” She trailed off.</p><p>“That you what?”</p><p>“That I don’t want either of those things,” she admitted. “Or at least, I don’t want to have them the way my parents expect me to have them.”</p><p>Wyatt hummed and looked thoughtful. Then he turned his attention back to the weapons on the table. At first, Lucy was disappointed that he’d been so attentive for this whole time only to stop right when she had confessed her deeper fear. But after a short while arranging the knives in some order that no doubt made sense to him, the Warrior said, “Well, it’s very possible I’m still missing a lot of things here, since I’m a foreigner who hasn’t studied much about your culture. But isn’t it true that if you’ll be considered an adult by all the rest of the Falarans, you’ll have the right to make your own decisions?”</p><p>She smiled, aware that it was a bitter smile. “You’d think so, wouldn’t you?”</p><p>He seemed like he wanted to protest, but then a look of realization dawned on his face. “Nera gave me a tablet with a list of threats that your parents are aware of. Some of them have ties to rival family lines.”</p><p>“Yes,” Lucy confirmed. She hadn’t memorized all the details of all the threats yet, but she wasn’t considered so much of a baby that they didn’t tell her anything of it. “As my mother has been reminding me more and more lately, the Preston line is part of such a tangled web of alliances, friendships, rivalries, and animosities that everything I do as an adult will have effects I can’t even fully predict.”</p><p>“Wow.” Wyatt shook his head. “So even deciding that you won’t marry anyone and won’t take any normal Empire position wouldn’t work?”</p><p>She shrugged. “Probably not.”</p><p>They were both quiet for a little while. Then Wyatt said, “I don’t have a solution to all that, but I do have some advice. It’s what I’ve been trying to live by for a while now, and it might be helpful for you, too.”</p><p>“What advice?”</p><p>“One problem at a time.” He shrugged a little, too, and went on, “So you’re going to arrive back on your planet, and you’re going to go through your Transition. That comes first. I’ll be guarding you while you do, and you’ll get through it. After that – well, that’s a problem for another time.”</p><p>Lucy thought about that, and then thought about how Wyatt might have been applying that philosophy in his life … ever since his people were conquered and his honor was destroyed. She suddenly felt ashamed. Here she was, worrying that she wouldn’t get to choose a spouse she liked and a position she liked, while her guard was one of the few remaining members of his caste in existence. “I guess that makes sense,” she told him. “And I-- I’m sorry for unloading all of that on you. It’s hardly your job to be my counselor.”</p><p>“No?” Wyatt didn’t seem annoyed at all. “You’re supposed to be able to trust me with your life. I don’t see why that has to only mean keeping you safe physically.”</p><p>Lucy smiled. “You mean that?”</p><p>“I do.” He smiled back, and then stood up. “Now, we should both probably try to get some sleep. I’ve heard there’s a lot going on tomorrow.”</p><p>Lucy rolled her eyes and said, “Yes, I’ve heard that, too.” But she stood as well. “And Wyatt?”</p><p>“Yes, ma’am?”</p><p>“Thank you. That-- that was good advice.”</p><p>“I’m glad.”</p><p>~<br/>
Lucy kept Wyatt’s advice in mind the next morning as the ship made its way into port, and then as their party headed for the shuttles to the surface. She could tell that her instinctive drive to find the right place for her Transition was awakening, but she was still in complete control of herself for now. She was certainly still aware enough of her surroundings to overhear when a couple of visitors from Aren, standing in the line next to them to get on the next shuttle, saw Wyatt and said something <i>just</i> loud enough to be heard. She didn’t catch all of it – just something about hoping “that” had “gotten all its shots”.</p><p>Lucy felt Wyatt tense next to her. He had clearly heard, too. (If her mother had heard, she evidently didn’t care to respond or react.) She took a deep breath and turned to face the Arenian couple. “Excuse me, I couldn’t help overhearing,” she said, giving them a hard smile as she drew herself up to her full height. “Since I don’t see any animals around here, I don’t know what you were worried about – but let me assure you as a native, Falaran quarantine regulations are very strict. In fact, perhaps you should be more concerned about your own business. You know – just in case.”</p><p>The man and woman stared at her. It was obvious – maybe more obvious now that she was facing them – what rank she held on Falar. They couldn’t have missed her point, but they also couldn’t fail to see the danger of antagonizing her. The woman’s face flushed, and the man coughed and nodded once. “Of-- of course, madam. Our apologies.”</p><p>Lucy just glared at them for a few more seconds before turning away. Their shuttle arrived just at that moment. She didn’t look back as their party boarded. Once the shuttle doors had closed, she looked at Wyatt, who returned her gaze silently but with clear admiration in his eyes.</p><p>“Well,” said her mother, startling Lucy a bit as she broke the silence, “I didn’t catch all of that little interaction back there, but well done on reminding those Arenians of the respect we deserve, Lucy. I imagine they won’t forget quickly.”</p><p>Lucy gave her mother a small smile and nodded. This was maybe the first time she had used the power inherent in her position in a way that seemed … well, worthy. She wasn’t going to let her mother make it into something it wasn’t – not for her, anyway. “I hope they won’t,” she murmured.</p><p>~~<br/>
Wyatt was glad he was on duty when Lucy finally emerged from her cocoon. Part of it was a kind of selfish desire to see the end goal of the effort he had been putting in to keeping her safe over these two weeks. After all, he had been the one who was there most of the time – and that was how he had wanted it. He had watched over Lucy while she chose the location she deemed suitable for her Transition, and watched her make her own cocoon. That had been extremely strange, but it had gone exactly as it should. Afterward, he had killed or incapacitated two trespassers (and Nera had chased off one more during her time on guard duty). And now it was the last day of the two weeks. In the twenty or so minutes since Wyatt had first noticed movement from inside the dark gray shape, Lucy had already shattered a large portion of its surface. He couldn’t see her yet, but he imagined it wouldn’t be long.</p><p>“Come on, Lucy,” he said again. “You can do this. You’re getting close.” He hoped she wasn’t feeling panicked by her hatred of small spaces. If she was as single-minded as she had been before she built the cocoon, she was probably doing all right.</p><p>She made no audible response to his encouragement, but she kept pushing at it. She kept at it for another half an hour before she was finally able to push her way free. (Wyatt had been told firmly that under no circumstances was he to help her. He understood that, though it wasn’t natural to just watch and wait.) As the last pieces of the cocoon fell away, Lucy stared around with wide eyes, panting. Her hair was damp and sticking to her face in a few places.</p><p>“Are you all right?”</p><p>She met his gaze. It seemed like she knew him, at least, but it took her almost a full minute to reply. “I think so.”</p><p>“Good,” he said. “Now, do you need help getting back to the house?” It wasn’t far, but she didn’t appear very steady.</p><p>She blinked a few times. When she took a step out of the pieces of cocoon towards him, she stumbled. “Maybe I do.” She blinked again, trying and mostly failing to push some hair out of her face. “I’m tired.”</p><p>“It’s no wonder,” he said, stepping closer so she would be able to lean on his arm. She stumbled again on the way to him, and he ended up grabbing her left hand in his to keep her upright. The flash of warmth at that wrist right then passed too quickly for him to really notice at that moment. Besides, he was distracted by his first glimpse of her new wings.</p><p>They were thin and translucent, folded a little awkwardly at her back and glistening under the film that was covering them and other areas of Lucy’s body. Wyatt noted that the plain tunic thing she’d been wearing when she went into the cocoon must have had spaces for her wings to grow through. Anyway, the overall impression he got in that quick glance, coupled with how weak and disoriented Lucy was right now, reminded him of the way the <i>sellai</i> on his planet looked, after the final stage of their metamorphosis. The comparison had occurred to him before.</p><p>No one bothered them on the way back to the Preston house. As the outer wall came into view, though, Nera and another guard came out to meet them. “Lady Lucy,” said Nera, after nodding to Wyatt, “your mother will be very pleased to see you’ve completed your Transition. She requests that you join her for a brief refreshment before you rest.”</p><p>‘Requests’. Wyatt smiled to himself. So there was the first piece of evidence that Lucy was considered an adult now, even by her overly controlling mother. That was a good thing.</p><p>“Yes,” said Lucy, covering a yawn. “All right, that sounds good.”</p><p>Wyatt learned quickly that when a Falar noblewoman had just finished her Transition, it was traditional for her to eat a quick, nourishing meal with any female relatives first. The next step was resting while allowing her wings to fully extend for the first time. Apparently this was necessary so that the wings could develop completely, since they had been so tightly crammed inside the cocoon before now. Lucy would likely sleep for nearly a day during this process, and then she would take a ceremonial bath. After that, it was back to normal – or time to start the new normal, he supposed.</p><p>Nera also informed him that now that Lucy was back inside the Preston house, in a location that didn’t need to be kept secret, he could go back to his normal schedule of sleeping at normal hours. The house’s security would be patrolling as usual. That was welcome news. He hadn’t been exaggerating when he told Lady Preston he could get by on two hours a night, but even as a Warrior on duty, that wasn’t something he could keep up forever.</p><p>While Lucy ate her meal and was escorted back to her room, Wyatt took a quick shower, changed his clothes, and ate a late lunch for himself. Then, after checking to make sure Lucy was now asleep (on her stomach, with delicate-looking wings spread out across the bed), he spent a few minutes acquainting himself further with the floor plans of the entire house. He wasn’t sure how many more days they would be spending on the planet’s surface. Still, he needed to know how defensible Lucy’s rooms were.</p><p>Having confirmed that the only access points that be called even sort of vulnerable were her bedroom and sitting room windows – and they were two stories off the ground with no trees or other outside objects that could be used to scale the walls – he let out a long breath and went to lie down in his own bed. That was when he finally noticed the mark on his wrist.</p><p>Wyatt stared for a good solid minute before daring to touch the mark with his right hand. A hand that was trembling. Yes, it was warmer than the skin around it, and tender to the touch. And the only person who could have touched him recently enough for it to have produced this mark was … was currently asleep in her room, having just gone through her Transition.</p><p>He let out a choked laugh, clenching his fists and feeling a resulting little jolt of pain from the mark. A new accordance mark. He had never dreamed he would ever find anyone else accordant with him after his first pair’s death years ago. That had been well before Rittenhouse had swept in and destroyed his planet’s future. Out of all the cruel ways for his ancestors to judge him for how he had failed his people, evidently they had decided giving him another pair, from a different species, whose life was already planned out for her in ways that entirely cut him out of that role, was the most effective way.</p><p>Not that she would see him as a possible option even if she didn’t feel like she had to marry the most politically advantageous person, Wyatt thought with a pained grimace. They liked each other, respected each other. He was beginning to be sure she was trustworthy enough to follow up on her suggestion of making a record of the true history of Rittenhouse’s attack on Resann. But anything more than that? The idea was laughable.</p><p>Except of course, now that he knew their match would be accordant – that they could have a family together – now that he had this mark, Wyatt knew the idea was never going to leave him alone. He sighed and turned his arm over, so he didn’t have to look at the mark. Hell, he didn’t even know what would happen to him, as a Warrior who would never bond with his pair. That had pretty much never happened in any story or historical record he remembered. Maybe the mark would just fade eventually, like it had for him the first time around, after Jess died.</p><p>As he lay down, another thought occurred to him, and he shut his eyes. As if he needed another piece of evidence to prove that this accordance was doomed from the start, he no longer had his wrist spines. All the legends said the location of the accordance mark meant that Warriors had originally grown these spines, the only ones on a Warrior’s body that were attached to venom glands, specifically to protect their pairs. But the Rittenhouse surgeons had removed those, too.</p><p>Wyatt kept his eyes closed, as he breathed in and out slowly and purposefully. He needed to sleep. No matter what had just happened, no matter what was (or wasn’t) going to happen, he needed the rest. His duty hadn’t changed, and neither had his ability to do it.</p><p>He must have succeeded in relaxing enough to sleep, because a sound woke him up some hours later. It was coming from the sitting room. Wyatt slid out of bed silently, grabbing his knives as he went. He paused in the doorway; based on her even breaths, Lucy was still asleep. But the faint scraping sound happened again.</p><p>Staying as quiet as possible, Wyatt made his way to the entryway of the sitting room. The scraping was coming from the window, as he had guessed. Someone was trying to get in.</p><p>Wyatt crouched down so that he would be even more hidden in the shadows near the couch. Whoever this was was determined enough to get in that they had scaled a wall to get this far, and having reached the window, they felt secure enough in their position that they could focus their attention on opening it from the outside. Quietly.</p><p>He waited. Technically, he had the option of summoning the house’s security, if he went back into his room and pushed a button on his tablet. But that might lead to this intruder escaping when the alarm was raised, which would be unacceptable. Plus, he couldn’t leave the room to go back to the tablet now. Not when there was a chance this intruder would enter while he wasn’t at his post.</p><p>Another several minutes of stealthy scraping sounds, the whole window started to move. Wyatt was impressed, in spite of himself. He’d checked out the windows earlier, and even though this house was old, the windows were not. They were top of the line, meant to be elegant but secure.</p><p>And then, when the intruder had the window out of its frame and lowered it to the ground almost soundlessly, Wyatt got another shock. There was very little light from outside, but his excellent night vision meant he could see and recognize that silhouette. There was no mistaking it. A Resanni Warrior had just broken into Lucy’s quarters. A <i>vara</i>, he was almost certain. How had this one of his brothers escaped the Empire’s humiliating ‘integration’ efforts?</p><p>But he couldn’t let his shock keep him frozen in place. The Warrior was coming nearer, and he saw the glint of metal in one of the intruder’s hands. An assassin?</p><p>Wyatt sprang up right then, and charged at the other Warrior before he could react. His opponent was knocked backward but managed to stay on his feet. Wyatt pressed his attack. The other Warrior, however, had a few inches and some muscle on him, and he had recovered from his surprise very quickly. Soon, he used his own weapon to force Wyatt back a few paces. Then the taller Warrior charged, but Wyatt dodged aside, striking at him with his knives as he did so.</p><p>Wyatt felt one of his blades make contact – with his opponent’s shoulder spines. The other Warrior grunted and swore under his breath. In Resa, of course. Harsh though the words were, it was still the first time Wyatt had heard his language spoken in months. The effect was as if his opponent had managed to stab him, after all.</p><p>Wyatt took another step away, raising his hands (though not letting go of the knives). “Brother,” he said loudly in Resa, “why are we fighting? Can we not discuss this as brothers instead?”</p><p>The other Warrior stopped immediately at the ritualistic words, which Warriors of different tribes had used for centuries to begin conflict resolution. He stayed where he was. “I’m Garcia Flynn. Who are you?” he asked, his accent marking him as a northerner. “What are you doing here?”</p><p>Wyatt sheathed one knife, using that hand to find the decorative lamp on the table near him to turn it on. “Here.”</p><p>The small amount of light revealed the intruder to be, as Wyatt guessed, a <i>vara</i>. He didn’t recognize Flynn at all, which was a little surprising. So few of his caste had been left at the end.</p><p>Apparently Flynn recognized him, however. “You!” he growled, raising his long knife again. “You’re the traitor who sold us out to the Empire. You’re no brother of mine!”</p><p>Wyatt swallowed. If it had only been him in danger right now, he would have been strongly tempted to drop his weapon and surrender. But there was still Lucy to think about. “If you know who I am,” he said instead, “then you’ll know why I’m asking you who <i>you</i> are. I didn’t see you at the final battle. I didn’t see you among those of us who were captured at the end. Where were you?”</p><p>The <i>vara</i>’s hatred-filled expression faded the smallest amount. “I was there! I was on the last northern ship when it crashed.”</p><p>“All right.” Wyatt supposed that was possible. “Then does that mean you hid in the wreckage instead of coming to the aid of your fellow Warriors?” He didn’t use the word ‘coward,’ since he knew it would be understood.</p><p>“I did not hide!” snarled Flynn. He took a breath then. “I was injured. Unconscious. Apparently the Empire troops who came to check through the ship for survivors didn’t bother to see if I was alive.” Then he narrowed his eyes at Wyatt again, and went on, “And then when I woke up, and I heard what they were doing to the captured Warriors – what <i>you</i> allowed them to do – I … I found a safer place to wait, to plan a counterattack. Eventually I managed to find my way onto a cargo ship coming this way.”</p><p>“To do what? Kill Lucy Preston?” Wyatt shook his head. “She wasn’t involved in the conquest of our home.”</p><p>“Not directly, no,” the other Warrior agreed. “But her mother and father were involved in the planning of it. So, since their attack took the lives of my pair and my children, along with so many others, I’ve decided they should know what it’s like to lose their child. And no <i>gelded</i> traitor of a Resanni is going to get in my way!”</p><p>Shame, guilt, rage, and fear for Lucy’s safety blended together all at once to make it impossible for Wyatt not to charge at his opponent. Flynn was obviously expecting this – but he wasn’t expecting the force of his attack. Despite the <i>vara</i>’s defensive stance, Wyatt was able to drive him back almost all the way to the open window before Flynn stopped them both.</p><p>“Why?” Flynn asked through gritted teeth, holding his ground and holding off both Wyatt’s knives with his. He was beginning to push back more than Wyatt would be able to hold up against for long. “Why are you fighting to protect a Rittenhouse noble, Logan? You already gave them the rest of our people’s protectors! Why would you keep helping them?”</p><p>“Because that was the choice I was given!” Wyatt yelled. His wrist ached fiercely with the continued effort of standing his ground now – as if he needed the reminder. “Because I thought it might be better for Resann to have some of us still alive, for the sake of <i>risa</i>, even-- even like this! And because--” He swallowed again, and managed to rotate his wrist so it would be visible to Flynn. “Because this just happened.”</p><p>It took a few seconds, but then Flynn’s eyes widened. He swore again. “You and the Preston daughter?”</p><p>Wyatt nodded once. If Flynn still believed his own honor as a Warrior was important, and if he didn’t believe Wyatt had forfeited everything that made him a Warrior...</p><p>“Impossible,” the tall Warrior scoffed, but he didn’t sound very sure. He relaxed his stance just a fraction.</p><p>“It should be,” Wyatt agreed. “I sure as hell wasn’t looking for this.”</p><p>Another few moments passed. Then, with an angry exclamation, Flynn twisted away. “This doesn’t mean I’m just going to leave now, without striking back against Rittenhouse,” he warned. “And it doesn’t mean you’re not a traitor.”</p><p>Wyatt glanced in the direction of Lucy’s bedroom for the first time since Flynn had broken in. She hadn’t stirred, as far as he could tell. “Whether you believe me or not, I have no loyalty to anyone else in the Empire,” he said, “although I can’t just let you leave, either. Not if I want to keep my position.”</p><p>Flynn glared at him. “Then you’ll have to try to stop me.”</p><p>As it turned out, their renewed fighting was interrupted by the arrival of six members of the house security team. Flynn didn’t struggle much, as soon as he saw how heavily the odds were stacked against him. As they were putting cuffs on him, though, he did stare at Wyatt with hatred and desperation breaking through his would-be stoic mask. “If you let them cut off my crest instead of executing me, I swear on the souls of my family, I will find a way to break out and kill you, Logan!” he yelled in Resa, as they dragged him away. “That’s a promise!”</p><p>One of the security team, a Falaran named Vonn who had been courteous enough to Wyatt ever since they were introduced two weeks ago, turned back to Wyatt. “What was he shouting about?”</p><p>“Oh, just something about how he wants to kill me,” Wyatt told him, calm over the turmoil in his thoughts. “I guess he’s angry that I stopped him from doing whatever it was he was planning to do.” They had already confirmed that Lucy was still safe, and in fact had not woken up even with all the chaos right next door.</p><p>“Ah.” Vonn gave him a wry smile. “Well, you can be sure we won’t let him do anything like that.”</p><p>“What’s, uh, what’s going to happen to him now?” Wyatt asked, trying to keep it casual.</p><p>“That depends to a certain extent on what Lady Lucy decides,” he said. “He’ll be locked up in the dungeon to start, for sure. When she’s ready, Lady Lucy can order either a public or private execution. It’s up to her.”</p><p>His heart sank. But of course that would be the punishment. Flynn had, after all, broken in with the intention of assassinating Lucy. It wasn’t like anyone would mistake him for an attempted thief. “Understood,” he told Vonn.</p><p>It took Wyatt a long time to come even close to settling down after he was left alone in Lucy’s sitting room (a temporary screen had been put into place over the window while repairs were arranged, but he still felt uneasy leaving it unguarded). He was going to have to talk to Lucy about Flynn and his fate. The man deserved punishment, but he didn't know if he could bear letting one more Warrior die. It wasn’t clear how much good Wyatt could do for him, by the laws of the Empire. Still, he had to try.</p><p>~~</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I decided to give Flynn two kids - maybe partially because I've been watching some <i>ER</i> recently, and Dr. Kovac had two, but also because it makes sense in my universe for Warriors to have more than one child.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>~~<br/>
Lucy luxuriated in the feeling of waking up slowly. She remembered right away what had changed since the last time she woke up in this bed, but that meant she also remembered that no one would disturb her if she wanted to take her time. Which she did.</p><p>At least until her new wings started to itch, which reminded her in turn that she needed a shower. Or no, a bath. That was the traditional way of removing the last of the membrane that still clung to her. Plus, she was getting hungry again.</p><p>When she sat up, folding her now-dry wings at her back, the itchiness increased. “Ugh.” She hurried out of bed, so focused on her desire to get clean that she only barely noticed the light on in Wyatt’s room as she strode toward the bathroom.</p><p>It was later, after she had finished the bath, gotten dressed, and gone out to her sitting room that she saw the screen on the window. Then she looked closer, and saw the marks of the window itself having been pushed in from outside, and-- was that blood on the little area rug over there? “Wyatt?” she called.</p><p>He came out of his room immediately. “Ma’am.”</p><p>“Did something happen here while I was sleeping?”</p><p>“Yes, ma’am,” he said, and then proceeded to tell her about the rogue Resanni Warrior who had tried to assassinate her, just hours ago. He had stopped this Flynn, of course. She felt a surge of gratitude for his strength and loyalty, even when faced with an opponent who must have brought back all kinds of bad memories. It had been the right decision, she knew, to keep him as her guard even now that her Transition was done. Halfway through his explanation, several members of her family’s security came in and added their own details. They were succinct and direct, as usual. They also corroborated what details of Wyatt’s report they could, and didn’t fail to commend Wyatt for his role, as was proper.</p><p>And then, after they had left, Wyatt shocked her out of her musings. “Lucy,” he said, eyes dark, “I want to ask you – is there anything you can do? To stop Flynn from just being executed by your people?”</p><p>Lucy blinked. “Why?”</p><p>Wyatt didn’t hesitate at all, despite his obvious awareness of how awkward the request was. “Because I don’t want to just stand by and let another one of my fellow Warriors die.”</p><p>He had a point – one that was hard to deny. On the other hand… “Even though he was trying to kill me?”</p><p>“I’m not trying to excuse that,” was Wyatt’s forceful response. “He should be punished. I would have killed him myself if I had to, to protect you. I guess what I’m really asking is...” He sighed.</p><p>“Is what?” she prompted.</p><p>“Is there any way you could at least-- I don’t know. At least go listen to him first,” he said, dropping his gaze from hers. That mask-like expression that she was beginning to hate was back on his face. “Maybe  that isn’t how the laws work here, but under Resanni law, even someone caught in the act deserves to be heard before a sentence is passed.”</p><p>It was clear, in spite of his blank expression, what exactly he thought of laws that didn’t even allow that much. Lucy sighed. “Well, I doubt very much that anyone would stop me from going to talk to him, though they’d wonder why I would want to do something like that,” she said. Her mother would think it was a waste of time … but it was her time to waste, at least for now. </p><p>A tiny bit of emotion showed in his eyes at that. “So you could do it?”</p><p>“Yes,” she said. “I could do it now, in fact.” Then she bit her lip, as she thought about how some of the other members of her family’s security had looked at Wyatt during their report on the assassination attempt. “But I think it-- it might be best if you don’t come inside the room with me. I don’t want anyone to start thinking anything stupid, like that you want to try to conspire with him because you’re from the same planet, or something.”</p><p>Wyatt stared at her, and then snorted. “Fine. As long as I’m allowed to stand just outside, that’s fine,” he said. “He doesn’t want to talk to me, anyway.”</p><p>After that, it only took a few minutes to get it all set up. Lucy knew she hadn’t imagined the brief flicker of relief on Vonn’s face when she mentioned that she would leave Wyatt outside the dungeon to wait for her, “since there will be plenty of other guards inside.” But no one felt like she needed more of an escort on the way there, which was nice.</p><p>“All right,” she said to Wyatt, once they arrived at the heavy, barred doors to the dungeon. “I don’t know how long I’ll be in there, but I’ll give this Flynn a chance to speak his piece, at least.”</p><p>He nodded. “I’ll be here, ma’am.”</p><p>Lucy had never been inside this part of the Preston house – not even years ago, when her father had taken her on her first tour of the whole estate. She had only seen the entrance back then. She squared her shoulders and went inside, down the stairs into the cold stone tunnel of the dungeon. It was more cramped than she would have liked. Not that that was a surprise. But she could handle it, for a short while anyway. She could be the adult she was now supposed to be.</p><p>A guard nodded to her as she walked down the row of cells to the last one, the only one currently occupied. Her footsteps made enough sound that she was sure Garcia Flynn had heard her coming. He didn’t raise his head to look at her, though.</p><p>Lucy suppressed a gasp at the sight of a Warrior with his full crest, the way he was meant to be. The spines were certainly impressive. Her heart ached, again, imagining how Wyatt would look if he had never had any contact with the Empire. The way he <i>should</i> look. She cleared her throat. “I’ve been told that your home world’s justice system allows even criminals who were caught in the act a chance to speak,” she said. “So I’m here to give you that chance, if you want to take it.”</p><p>At that, Flynn looked up. His gaze traveled over her, and then he raised his eyebrows. “I will admit, I didn’t expect this,” he said. His Standard was more accented than Wyatt’s, but still very clear. “Perhaps fate, or Logan’s ancestors, or whatever forces are at work here, haven’t chosen him as terrible of a pair as I thought.”</p><p>Pair? Lucy frowned a little. “If you want to use this whole time to talk about Wyatt, that’s your prerogative, but I thought you might want to try to help me understand why you risked everything to try to kill me.”</p><p>“He hasn’t told you.” Flynn smiled, a smile that was more cruel than amused. “Perhaps you aren’t even aware of accordance and pair bonding among Warriors. Well, I’ll let you ask your pet Warrior about that later. As you say, I have other things I want to talk about.”</p><p>That … did actually sound like a topic that might be important for her to understand. Lucy made a note to ask Wyatt about it. “Such as?” was all she said to the prisoner.</p><p>And then Flynn’s cold, sarcastic attitude changed, as he told her the story of his wife (whom he called his “pair”) and two children being killed during the battle with Rittenhouse forces at Resann. It was the enemy forces who caused their deaths, and the fact that they weren’t the intended targets didn’t make any difference – not to Flynn, and not to Lucy when she thought about it at all. “My daughter was four,” said Flynn, his voice full of grief and fury. “My son was barely a year old.”</p><p>Lucy clenched her fists and lowered her head. “I-- I know it can’t possibly even begin to make up for what you’ve suffered,” she said, “but I’m sorry. So sorry.”</p><p>There was a brief pause, and then Flynn scoffed. “Yes, well, as your bodyguard pointed out, you were not directly involved in any part of the attack on Resann. I’m sure you’ve been kept ignorant of all the less than glorious things your precious Empire does. But your parents? Oh, they were definitely involved. That is who I truly wished to hurt.”</p><p>It made a certain kind of sense. Lucy sighed. “You’re right that I was kept in the dark about all the terrible things the Empire has done in the name of expansion and unity among species,” she told him. “But I do bear some blame still, since I never questioned that whole narrative. I should have. I even have a specific interest in history, and yet I just accepted the one-sided story without ever challenging it.”</p><p>Flynn looked at her, his expression now similar to Wyatt’s stoic mask. “Hm.”</p><p>“As for my mother and father,” said Lucy, and then stopped. How could she explain to this man, this father who had clearly adored his family, just how different things were among Falaran nobles? “If you had succeeded in killing me, you would have made them sad, yes. But, um, not in the ways you were thinking.”</p><p>He cocked his head. “Would you care to explain that?”</p><p>She gathered her thoughts. While she felt real sympathy and pain for Flynn, he was not entitled to the details of her childhood. She could try to keep it general, though. “For Falaran nobles, children are a resource, a means for continuing the family line and controlling how it continues. There’s affection between parents and their children, but not the kind of closeness I’ve read about and heard about from other cultures. Or even seen, the few times I’ve been around other classes and other species on Falar.” Lucy carefully kept her own expression and voice calm. “So, if you had killed me, my father and mother would have been highly disappointed that all their efforts at bringing me up to fit into their plans for the future were gone. They’d probably miss me – but not in the same way as you must miss your family so keenly.”</p><p>For a moment, Flynn’s face showed unguarded surprise and amazement. Then he recovered and said, “Well, that is certainly not common knowledge. I guess I should have known, though, given how heartless your people are. Thank you for telling me, my lady.” That last sentence was spoken with a heavy dose of sarcasm.</p><p>Lucy took a breath. She wondered if there were any Resanni people who wouldn’t agree with him. “Right. Um, I should also tell you that the punishment for your crime is execution. You might already know that. But it’s-- it’s my choice whether it’s private or public.”</p><p>“Ah.” Flynn moved a little closer to the bars of his cell. She could see now that his wrists were in chains – which must have been very uncomfortable since the manacles were over his folded-down wrist spines. “And what is your decision?”</p><p>“I haven’t made one.” She couldn’t imagine being fully responsible for the death of a man, even one who had tried to kill her. The thought was terrible. “But I won’t make you wait in suspense for a long time, I know that much.”</p><p>“How very gracious.” His words were a little less biting, that time.</p><p>As she turned to go, the Warrior called after her, “Lady Preston, can I give you some advice?”</p><p>Curious, she turned around. “Yes?”</p><p>“Tell your bodyguard what you told me, about what family and children mean to your people.” His gaze was clear and free of malice. “He needs to know.”</p><p>Lucy raised an eyebrow. But that seemed to be all Flynn wanted to tell her. So she turned away again, and made her way back out of the dungeon.</p><p>Wyatt met her right outside the door at the top of the stairs. He seemed relieved to see that she wasn’t upset, although he only said, “Are you ready to go back to your rooms?”</p><p>“Yes,” she told him, “and I have some things I want to talk to you about, when we get there.”</p><p>~~<br/>
Wyatt almost laughed. He should have known that Flynn would take the opportunity given to him and use it to push at any weak spot he knew about in Wyatt. He should have known – but it hadn’t occurred to him. He forced himself not to touch or cover up the accordance mark on his left wrist. He wasn’t going to draw her attention to it. “<i>That’s</i> what you want to talk to me about?” he said, aiming for a bored tone as he avoided her gaze.</p><p>“Yes.” She sounded hurt, which killed him. “Wyatt, why-- do you really not want me to ask this kind of question? I’m sorry if I’m being intrusive.”</p><p>“Why are you asking?” he returned, pacing away from her.</p><p>She sighed. “I-- Lots of reasons! Including the fact that I think my culture’s understanding of family and marriage is very different from yours, and I want to understand. But if you really don’t want to talk about it...”</p><p>It was Wyatt’s turn to sigh. He sat down heavily in a chair in the sitting room. Maybe it was foolish to think he could hide this from her. But he had no idea what to do in this situation, since he could see no way forward for them even if Lucy was interested. Which she wouldn’t be. “I...” He trailed off, gazing at a small imperfection on the side of the little table next to the chair. On the other hand, maybe it would be better to get this over with. “Did you want to share something first?” Just not right away.</p><p>She sat down on the couch. “I can do that.”</p><p>But after she had told him about family relationships and marriages among Falaran nobles, Wyatt wished he hadn’t invited her to go first. They didn’t have anything like pair bonds, it seemed. That in itself wasn’t surprising; after all, the other Resanni castes didn’t, either. But from what Lucy said, there wasn’t even much familial love, if any. Lucy’s parents, she said with only a hint of wistfulness, cared about her – but mostly because of what she represented for their family line. Not because of who she was in herself.</p><p>“But as I told Flynn,” she was saying, and Wyatt made himself pay attention despite his emotional upheaval, “I know other races aren’t like that. Even the other classes on Falar are more … warm, more open with their affection as families.” She let out a breath. “I think I would have liked that.”</p><p>Wyatt shook his head, thinking of all the little things he’d observed in Lucy’s interactions with her mother. This put all of that into stark context – and it also made him feel a surge of both compassion and pity for Lucy Cahill-Preston, of all people. “I think you would have,” he agreed quietly. Everyone deserved a better home environment than she had just described. His own parents had died when he was small, but he remembered that they had loved each other, and loved him. And his grandfather had loved him, and raised him in that love. “I don’t even know--” He stopped himself, shaking his head again.</p><p>“What is it?” She was looking at him with that open, clear gaze. Like she really might want to hear his honest thoughts, even after he’d snapped at her earlier.</p><p>“It’s, uh, not very complimentary toward your parents,” he told her. “Or your whole Falaran noble system.”</p><p>She snorted. “I won’t tell them if you don’t. I promise.”</p><p>“All right.” He took a breath. “What I was going to say was, I don’t even know how someone … like you could develop into the person you are, in a system like that.”</p><p>At that, she blinked, and then gave him a shy, surprised smile and ducked her head. “Well, thank you,” she said. And then she shrugged, and Wyatt noted the faint movement of her wings at her back as she did so. “I don’t want to make you think I never had anyone who was kind to me or loved me. Most Falaran nobles have nannies who help look after us from infancy through our first few years of schooling. Mine was a wonderful, sweet woman.”</p><p>That was a relief to hear. “Good,” he said. “I’m glad.”</p><p>There was a pause, and then Lucy said, “So, I’d be very interested to hear anything you want to tell me about your people’s marriage and family customs. And Flynn did mention pair bonds and something else – I can’t remember the exact word he used. Accordance? … If you, um, want to tell me anything about that.”</p><p>He couldn’t hold back a sigh, but he still nodded. She should know this, at least in general terms. It would be useful for her in the future, if nothing else.</p><p>So he told her about the Warrior caste being the only ones on his planet who formed pairs through accordance marks (he didn’t go into much detail about what they looked like). These marks showed a Warrior the partner they would produce the healthiest, strongest children with, and appeared after the Warrior in question had spent some time with the one who would be that partner. That partner then developed their own matching mark. “We call our partner our pair,” he said. He didn’t tell her about his fear that children of this current generation of Warriors would be too few to find their pairs. And if that happened…</p><p>“But the other castes on Resann don’t pair bond like that?”</p><p>“No, Guides and Crafters just find people they like, and then pair off,” he said. Then he thought about what he’d just said. “Not that Warriors don’t like their pairs – we do. We just generally move into a deeper relationship faster.”</p><p>Lucy nodded, smiling a little. Then her smile faded. “What happens when-- when a Warrior loses their pair? Like Flynn did?”</p><p>“We grieve,” said Wyatt, after a moment. Thoughts of Jess rose to his mind, and he swallowed. “We grieve, and our accordance marks disappear, and it takes a long time before we-- before a Warrior could imagine finding another pair. A long time.”</p><p>At his change of pronoun, Lucy’s eyes widened. “Is that why Flynn wanted me to ask you about this? Because you lost your pair, too?” Her eyebrows drew down. “What, was he just trying to get me to remind you of something painful? Gods, I--”</p><p>“I don’t think he knew,” he cut in, before she could start blaming herself too much. Because that was one thing he’d definitely learned about Lucy: she was empathetic even beyond most Resanni that he’d known. “But yes, I did. Years before the invasion. It was...” He searched for the right phrase. “A freak accident, I think is what you’d say.”</p><p>“I’m so sorry,” said Lucy, and he believed her. “And I won’t ask anymore about it. I didn’t mean to make you relive that pain.”</p><p>He smiled, knowing how she would interpret the sadness in it. It was sort of dishonest, but not really. He did still miss Jess. He always would – even in a now impossible future where he bonded with another pair. And maybe it was cowardly (he knew Flynn would say it was), but he didn’t mind at all that this would at least delay the moment when his charge found out about the new mark on his wrist. Who knew? Maybe he could keep it hidden until it faded, which it would surely have to.</p><p>~~<br/>
It was slightly unusual for the young Lady Preston to decide to have her would-be assassin executed in a private setting, off-world, but not unheard of. She was not the kind of bloodthirsty noble who would want to watch the captured Resanni Warrior die, people said. And the rumors were that she had said she didn’t want to tarnish the soil of her home world by ordering an execution there. So instead, the assassin had his venom glands removed, and then he was shipped off to one of the Empire’s prison planets, to meet his fate there.</p><p>If the security for his transport seemed oddly low, no one really commented on it. No further news about the strange, hostile Warrior was forthcoming after he made his one-way trip.</p><p>If anyone on Falar had cared enough to follow up, and really pressed the officials who had received the prison transport ship, they might have learned that no execution had taken place.</p><p>~~<br/>
As it turned out, Wyatt’s new mark didn’t fade, and it didn’t let him forget about it, either. Not only did the ache remain (only getting a little bit less tender after several days), but to his shock, something new happened about a week after Lucy’s Transition ended. This was also just as the Prestons left the planet’s surface again, to prepare for the next phase of Lucy’s adult life.</p><p>Wyatt had just gotten back to his quarters on the ship, still mentally replaying the hostile interaction Lucy and her mother had been part of on the way to their shuttle. He had stepped in of course (and so had other security team members), and no one had gotten hurt, but it was just another reminder that the Prestons had their enemies.</p><p>And then, just as he was thinking about taking a shower, he gasped at the sudden, sharp pain in both of his wrists. The pain was intense enough – especially in his right wrist – that he actually came close to stumbling. He made himself take slow, even breaths as he walked unsteadily to his bed. Which he then sort of fell onto instead of sitting. His wrists still hurt. Like they were both being stabbed. No – wait. Wyatt stared, jaw dropped, at his arms. There were two spines pushing out through the scars on his wrists. The spines looked exactly like they had before the Rittenhouse surgeons had cut them out, along with his venom glands. Which, judging by the pressure he still felt under the spines, were also growing back or had already grown back.</p><p>He sat there, watching in disbelief as they finished growing back. There they were. The second set of spines any Warrior grew in was back, just as it should be. The ache was ebbing, too. With a choked laugh, Wyatt flexed them experimentally. All right, so that caused the pain to increase again for a few seconds – but they were functional. He was no longer without his most essential and basic weapons.</p><p>And then his wild joy dissipated. How was he going to keep this hidden? If someone other than Lucy saw (because he doubted she would mind), would they force him to have these removed again? He didn’t think he could do that a second time. But trying to wear extra long sleeves wasn’t really viable, either. He sighed. No. Lucy, at least, should know right away.</p><p>So he went back out into the receiving room, and then crossed to knock on Lucy’s door. “Ma’am? Can I, um – can I talk to you?”</p><p>“Just a moment,” Lucy called back. When she opened her door, she stepped back in surprise at seeing him right there. And then her eyes got huge when she saw how Wyatt was holding out his right wrist – spine upright. “Wh—what?”</p><p>“They just grew back,” said Wyatt. Now that he’d said it out loud, the whole thing felt more real. Though it was still pretty hard to wrap his mind around. “A few seconds ago.”</p><p>“Both of them?”</p><p>“Yes.” He showed her a brief glimpse of his left wrist, just enough that the spine would be visible. “I...” He shook his head. “I never expected this to be possible.”</p><p>She smiled then, wide and bright. “Wyatt, that’s-- that’s amazing! I’m so glad for you! Do you think the others will grow back, too?”</p><p><i>Oh.</i> He hadn’t even thought that far yet. “I have no idea,” he admitted. “But … before I would even begin to hope for that, I have to ask: is--” He cleared his throat, as his voice threatened to break. He had to know. “Is anyone going to force me to have these removed again?”</p><p>Lucy’s eyes got big again, and then she frowned. “That’s a fair question. I guess, from what you said, that’s supposed to be the rule for all Warriors now that you’re part of the Empire.” Before his heart could sink too much, she went on, “On the other hand, you did have that happen to you once already. So it’s not like you’re breaking any rules as written by having them grow back, though I’ll check into that to be sure. But even aside from that, you’re in private service now – and I would never force you into another painful, humiliating surgery.”</p><p>Wyatt shut his eyes, just for a moment, and leaned against the wall outside her doorframe. Not that he had really doubted that she would do what she could to stop such a thing, but it was still a relief to hear it. That was, until he realized he had used his left arm to lean against the wall.</p><p>“Wyatt. What is that? You didn’t have it on your other arm.”</p><p>He hid a wince as he pulled his arm away – but not fast enough to keep her from pointing right at his accordance mark.</p><p>~~<br/>
Lucy watched as Wyatt’s face went from relief in response to her reassurance, to what she thought might have been a flash of fear, to that blank mask again. “It’s not important,” he muttered, pulling his arm back to his side.</p><p>But now she was thinking about what Flynn had said, what Wyatt had said – and what he hadn’t said, the last time they talked about Resanni Warrior pair bonding. Wyatt had said, among other things, that the mark he’d mentioned faded away if a Warrior’s pair died. And the red mark she had just seen on his left wrist was very clear and obvious. “What do you mean, not important? Is that a new accordance mark?”</p><p>He took a step back. “No. It doesn’t matter.”</p><p>“Wyatt.” She wanted to take a step closer, but decided that might not be a great idea. If it was a new accordance mark, there was really only one candidate for who had made it appear, based on what he had told her. “How can you say it doesn’t matter? How long have you had this?”</p><p>“It doesn’t <i>matter</i>,” he repeated, and now he looked almost angry. “It’s not going to come to anything. Just … leave it alone.”</p><p>At that, she did try to reach out for him – but he backed away even further. “Wyatt,” she started again.</p><p>“I’m going to keep doing my job, no matter what,” he cut in. “You don’t need to worry about anything beyond that, ma’am.” With that, he gave her a small bow, respectful and correct and just as distant as he had been on the day they first met, and went back to his room.</p><p>Lucy stared after him for a solid minute, and then went to her own room, her own emotions in turmoil.  This … this was a mess. How long had Wyatt been keeping this from her? How long had he known that she – the newly adult daughter of the Cahill-Preston line, whose Empire had slaughtered nearly all the Warriors on his home planet and whose entire life was more or less planned out for her – was his potential pair? What were the odds? They weren’t even from the same planet, or star system, or quadrant of the galaxy. She wiped her hands under her eyes, irritated at that necessity, and then sniffed. It wasn’t actually at all hard to understand why he hadn’t told her. He’d just said the reason, hadn’t he? <i>“It’s not going to come to anything.”</i></p><p>The expression on his face, in his voice just then – that was going to haunt her, she knew. She wondered what was going to happen to him now. He had promised it wouldn’t affect his ability to do his job, and she believed that – up to a point, anyway. But it had to be torment for him. And yet, she couldn’t imagine he’d rather be somewhere else, either. Not if she understood this pair bonding thing at all. There were no good options here.</p><p>Sighing, Lucy allowed herself a few moments to imagine what could happen if she weren’t so entangled in the web of her family’s alliances, enemies, and Empire-wide plans. If she were just some woman, who had met Wyatt by chance. She smiled a little. He was a good man, a good listener, kind, and strong – and obviously extremely good-looking. He had protected her with fierce loyalty, even before the accordance mark had appeared (or at least, she was pretty sure it hadn’t been there for more than a few weeks). Plus, he didn’t judge her for what the Empire had done to him and his people. He respected her. What was it he had said about a Warrior pair bonding? They liked their pair. Which meant he must like her. She blushed a little.</p><p>She would have been honored to have an actual relationship with Wyatt, Lucy concluded with another, heavier sigh. But she couldn’t see a way for that to happen. With a sad little laugh, Lucy shook her head. Not unless they both snuck away and ran off together, to some far-flung reach of the galaxy and went into hiding. But no, even then, her mother would probably track her down and make her ‘take her proper place’. And then get rid of Wyatt. Which was out of the question.</p><p>Lucy thought about her Warrior guard’s face just minutes ago, when he had come to show her the miraculous regrowth of his wrist spines. How happy he’d been, and then how relieved when she’d made it clear there would be no one forcing him to have them removed again. She still hoped that this was just the first step for him, that the rest of his spines would grow back, too. But whether they did or not didn’t change the mess of this situation.</p><p>She bit her lip. She wasn’t just going to let him suffer, without trying to figure out a solution to the problem. Of course it wasn’t going to be quick or simple, but she was going to try. Plus, if she succeeded, in the end she might have a husband she actually really liked. Which was a pleasantly novel idea. With that resolved, she reached over to her tablet and opened a folder that she’d been doing her best to ignore for months now, since before her Transition. Then she shut her eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and dove in.</p><p>~</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>We'll see if my estimated number of chapters ends up being accurate or not. Heh.</p><p>Either way, thanks for continuing to read along!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>~~<br/>
The next month was a strange and special kind of torture for Wyatt, mixed in with moments of joy. At first, he was relieved when Lucy didn’t push much further about the accordance mark and what it meant for them. She did tell him, the next day, that she was glad to know about it for two reasons. “The first reason is because it’s an honor,” she had said, meeting his gaze although her cheeks had flushed a little. “I never could have imagined a-- a partner who’s as good of a man as you are.” While Wyatt had stared at her, unable to speak, she’d gone on, “The second reason is so that I have a goal to work toward now.”</p><p>At that, Wyatt had cleared his throat and asked, “What goal?”</p><p>“The goal of seeing if anything can come of this,” she answered, with a little smile. He’d let her take his hand then, even though the gentle pressure of her fingers at his wrist had made him hold back a gasp. “I need you to know, especially in the coming weeks, that if I had the right biology to do it, I would want to develop my own matching mark for you.” She pressed his hand over her left wrist, and then let go.</p><p>Wyatt had been too amazed and overwhelmed by her words (and she had meant them, he could tell) to really pay attention to the comment about the coming weeks. Not right then, anyway. He hadn’t thought she would have any reason to return his feelings at all. The fact that she did meant a lot, even with all the impossibilities between them. But those particular words came back to him the day after that, when Lucy announced that she was going to be receiving guests, from the list of ‘approved’ candidates for her to marry – the ones that she had already personally vetted and decided weren’t awful.</p><p>He was aware he hadn’t been entirely able to hide his reaction to that news. Even though he’d known something like this would have to happen sometime soon, it seemed cruel, for her to start this process right after what she’d said to him about his accordance mark.</p><p>Lucy cleared her throat, and for the first time she looked uncertain. “But, um, before the first person arrives, I guess I should ask you something. Or maybe-- I probably should have asked you this before I invited anyone to come see me. So … I hope--” She shook her head, took a deep breath, and started again. “How would you feel, if-- if I end up getting married to someone who’s fine with the fact that it would only be for political reasons? And fine with the fact that such a marriage would, uh, not produce any children?”</p><p>Wyatt stared at her. He was pretty sure he understood what she was getting at, though it wasn’t an idea that would ever need to occur to anyone on Resann. But now he had so many questions that he wasn’t sure where to start. He tried to find his voice. “Is there-- do you really think someone like that exists?”</p><p>Lucy shrugged. “I can’t be sure, of course. Which is one of the reasons why I’m planning to meet with these candidates personally, to get a feel for how they might respond to that idea.” She bit her lip. “I don’t know if this is true on your home planet, but for Falarans, there is a certain part of the population who, um, aren’t interested in people of the opposite sex. They’re interested in people of the same sex instead.”</p><p>“We have people like that on Resann,” Wyatt said. “More in some castes than others, but they’re just-- a normal variation of people in our population. They’re known as <i>sayat</i>.” It was somewhat rare for Warriors to have that preference, since the importance of reproducing more Warriors complicated things. But it still happened. “Why are you mentioning this?”</p><p>“Well, for Falaran nobles, a same-sex preference is seen as inconvenient at best, and a problem at worst,” she said. Her hands were twisted together in front of her. “Parents usually insist that their children find a spouse of the opposite sex regardless of what they would prefer. Bloodlines are that important. And, well, there’s a very good chance – not to mention plenty of gossip – that some of the men that my parents have listed as an acceptable potential match for me aren’t actually interested in women.”</p><p>Wyatt took this in, and then sighed. He ran a hand over the back of his neck. There was, actually, a situation on his home world that was slightly similar to what Lucy was describing. Sort of. In times of peace and plenty on Resann, there was more of a chance of <i>sayat</i> Warriors being born. And during those times, when two Warriors of the same sex fell in love, they might on rare occasions find a third person to ask to join their family, to help with the issue of having children. Of course, this was all for the sake of love and furthering <i>risa</i>, but still. There were some similarities here, if he squinted.</p><p>“So?” Lucy broke the silence that had fallen. She was more nervous now. “Does that sound … like something you could be okay with, at all?”</p><p>“Lucy,” he said, coming closer but not touching her, “first of all, the fact you’re trying to see if this can work...” He had to clear his throat before he could keep going. “It means a lot.”</p><p>She smiled at him, and his heart did a strange pattern of beats for a few seconds. Then she nodded and grew more serious. “But?”</p><p>“Well,” Wyatt tried again to organize his thoughts, “one issue is how permanent you think this can be – how long you think it could last. Because people will probably notice when--” He paused, but then decided he might as well press on. “When your children start to develop spines on their faces and wrists.”</p><p>Her eyes widened, and her gaze flicked over his crest for a second as she admitted, “I hadn’t quite thought about that aspect. But Falaran nobles don’t show their children off in public when they’re very young, anyway. And more importantly...” She looked resolute. “Most importantly, I don’t want this to be a permanent thing at all. What I want is,” but then she swallowed and stopped. “Well, suffice it to say, I want things to change, in a big way – and not just for the two of us. That’s another goal I hope we’ll both be able to work toward in all of this.”</p><p>That last part sounded intriguing. The first part made him unable to speak again, for another few moments. She wasn’t upset or put off by the idea of having children with him. It was an amazing realization, and hard to process. He cleared his throat again. “So, you really think you’ll be able to find some guy on the approved list who’s <i>sayat</i> – who isn’t interested in women – and who won’t mind you having a relationship with your Resanni Warrior bodyguard?”</p><p>“I don’t know,” she said with a sigh. “It’s a long shot. I’d prefer it if he was also trustworthy enough to be an ally, rather than just harmless … but that’s even less likely, I realize.”</p><p>There was a pause, and then Wyatt made himself ask the next logical question. “What happens if you don’t find someone who has all those qualifications?”</p><p>She wasn’t offended by the question. “Then I guess I go right toward working for big changes – more urgently than I would have otherwise.”</p><p>That was both more and less appealing than the marriage option, Wyatt thought: more, because there would be no one between him and her, and less, because who could say how long it would take before it was safe for them to be together?</p><p>“So?” Lucy repeated. “Can we do this?”</p><p>Wyatt took a few more seconds to think, and then shrugged. “I guess there’s only one way to find out.” It still didn’t make him happy, to imagine the woman who should be his pair interviewing other men to discover which one she might marry. But maybe he didn’t have to look forward to the next phase of his life without any hope at all – if he could get through this, anyway.</p><p>Getting through the interview process was not easy. When the first candidate arrived that evening, Wyatt had to tell himself multiple times to relax his hands out of fists as Lucy welcomed the Falaran and his party at the airlock. He guessed this Noah guy was probably very handsome, according to Falaran standards. And it was very hard for Wyatt not to hate him immediately. Especially when Lucy smiled at him, and her mother (present, but actually not interfering for once) looked so satisfied.</p><p>But he made himself continue to do his duty, while Lucy interviewed Noah first, and then Steven two days later, and then Timothy two days after that. None of these men were what Lucy hoped to find. Neither were the next two candidates. Wyatt didn’t bother to deny to himself that he was relieved to see each of them go, even as he tried not to be nervous that no one would end up fitting the criteria Lucy had discussed with him. He was pretty sure, from glimpses he’d gotten and from comments he’d heard from Nera and from Lucy’s mother, that the list Lucy was going off wasn’t that long. The pool of acceptable candidates for the daughter of Carol and Benjamin was small to begin with.</p><p>On the other hand, during those hours when there wasn’t anyone else around, Lucy had started to give him the kinds of glances, smiles, and occasional touches that Wyatt remembered so well from the beginning of his bonding stage with Jess. He appreciated that they had both decided not to take things any further between the two of them, since that would only make this more difficult (and it was possible someone would find out), but it was a little maddening. Still. Warriors were trained from childhood in the importance of self-control. And at least this new phase of his relationship with Lucy reminded him of what they were doing this for. As if he could ever forget, with the accordance mark still tender on his wrist.</p><p>Aside from all of this, there was also a growing pressure under the skin of his shoulders. Given what had happened with his wrist spines, and what he remembered from his youth, Wyatt could guess what this meant. So it was without surprise, but with no less amazement and relief, that he saw the beginnings of the four spines – two on each shoulder – pushing through his skin one evening, after nearly a week of pressure building. He let out a breath, gently touching each spine along its length. Just like with his wrist spines, they grew to reach their full size as he watched. He had now progressed back to the second stage of a Warrior’s crest. He was a <i>leva</i>.</p><p>This was going to be pretty much impossible to keep hidden, Wyatt thought a second later. He was pretty sure no one else on <i>Falar’s Honor</i> had noticed his wrist spines yet, but these were not going to fit under a normal Falaran guard uniform. He would have to modify his shirts. And trust that Lucy was correct that she had enough authority over her own affairs (including her guard) that no one would force him to lose his crest again. He hoped that this meant the other remaining Warriors were regaining their crests, and that no one would forcibly remove them, either. But surely, if his ancestors were going to allow him to regain his honor, after everything he’d done, his sisters and brothers could, too.</p><p>Lucy was amazed and happy when she saw him the next morning. “Oh, Wyatt!” she said, beaming. “It’s all growing back, isn’t it? That’s-- that’s so wonderful!”</p><p>“It is,” he agreed, not bothering to try not to smile back. Then he coughed. “But, um, I’m going to have to modify my uniform shirts.” He was currently wearing one of his undershirts. “Is that going to cause any problems for you?”</p><p>She blinked, and then shook her head. “People will make comments, probably, but I’ll do whatever I have to, to make sure that’s the worst that can happen. I mean, now that it’s clear your crest will just grow back if they cut it off, I don’t see why anyone should care to keep wasting their time.”</p><p>Privately, Wyatt was afraid someone might care enough to see if there was some way to make the removal permanent, but he decided not to worry about that right now. There were plenty of other things to worry about, after all. “Okay. Well, if you have any advice on how to keep the shirt looking as official as possible, let me know,” he said, half-joking. She took him up on it, anyway.</p><p>As it turned out, they both had cause to be very glad Wyatt’s crest had started to grow back, in the middle of the third week of Lucy’s interviews. </p><p>They had been expecting the arrival of a suitor named Rufus, from one of Falar’s nearest neighboring planets. But that morning, two ships arrived instead of only Rufus’s – and the other one was the personal ship of one potential suitor whom Lucy had (she told Wyatt in a frustrated undertone on the way to the airlock) rejected outright, without even sending an invitation.</p><p>“Do I have you to thank for this, Mother?” she asked in barely-hidden irritation, as Lady Preston and Nera joined her and Wyatt to wait for the ships to dock. “You know how I feel about Jonas.”</p><p>“No, Lucy, of course not,” said Lucy’s mother. She looked mildly offended at the accusation. “I do know how you feel about him – and however suitable I consider Jonas as a match for you, you’re an adult now. I would never interfere in such an underhanded way.”</p><p>Lucy gave Wyatt a glance out of the corner of her eye and huffed once, but didn’t respond. “Well, good.”</p><p>Just then, the doors opened, and a man that Wyatt guessed immediately was this Jonas guy swept through into the ship. He might have been handsome, except for the sneer on his face and general attitude of scorn that he radiated – which he changed to a smile when he looked at Lucy and her mother. “Lady Preston, Lady Lucy,” he said with a bow. “It’s an honor to be here.”</p><p>“It’s an honor to have you, Lord Jonas,” said Carol Preston with an answering smile and nod.</p><p>“It’s certainly a surprise,” Lucy said. Her smile was forced.</p><p>Jonas (of course he was a lord, Wyatt thought with the mental equivalent of an eye-roll) pretended to ignore the edge there. “Well, when I heard you were starting to interview people for the honor of your hand in marriage, I knew I should be here, Lady Lucy.”</p><p>Wyatt clenched his jaw as Lucy stiffened. This guy was an entitled, stuck-up piece of garbage, and Wyatt really wanted to wipe the smirk off his face. But unless Jonas decided to escalate things, he would hold back.</p><p>“How interesting that you’d say that,” Lucy was saying, with that same fake smile. “Since I don’t remember inviting you here.”</p><p>Jonas’s smile disappeared. He looked furious. Wyatt edged closer to Lucy. Lady Preston was just starting to say something reproachful to her daughter when she was interrupted by the airlock doors opening again. Another man stepped out, blinking as he noticed the tension around him. “Uh. Hello, everyone.”</p><p>“Doctor Carlin,” said Lucy, smiling more genuinely and stepping forward. “Welcome. I’m Lucy Preston, and this is my mother, Lady Preston. It’s nice to meet you in person.”</p><p>“It’s an honor to meet you both,” said the doctor, bowing. Then he turned to Jonas, with a nervous expression. “And, um, Lord Jonas. Always good to see you again, sir.”</p><p>Jonas gave a brusque nod. “Doctor.”</p><p>“Well, I think we should all have some lunch,” said Lucy. She let her gaze pass over Jonas and then back to Dr. Carlin. “Thankfully, we always have enough food on hand even when <i>unexpected</i> guests drop in.”</p><p>This time, Jonas’s eyes flashed. But he just pasted on a smile that didn’t really hide his anger, and agreed with Dr. Carlin that lunch sounded good.</p><p>Wyatt made sure he was closer to Lucy’s left side, where Jonas was walking, on the way to the dining room. He didn’t actually think the guy was stupid enough to attack Lucy Preston on her own ship, with all these witnesses, but he had a bad feeling about him in general. So he figured it was a good idea to remind this Jonas that Lucy had a Resanni Warrior on her side. At her side.</p><p>As he had hoped, his move made Jonas take more notice of him than he had up to that point. The man’s eyes widened. “Well, well,” he said, as they all continued down the hallway, “I’d heard you got a bodyguard from the newest Empire planet, Lady Lucy, but I’d also thought there were rules about how inhabitants from outer worlds are supposed to assimilate. Your guard still looks quite … exotic.”</p><p>Wyatt made himself show only a tiny fraction of the anger and fear that comment caused. Aside from a dismissive glare at Jonas, he could let Lucy be the one to respond. And respond she did. “I hope you’re not criticizing how my family and I run our household,” she said, frowning just a little.</p><p>“Oh-- no, not at all,” Jonas said quickly. “I’m sure he performs his duties well.”</p><p>“I should think so,” Carol chimed in. She gave Jonas a frostier look than she had yet. “We Prestons pride ourselves on knowing how to recognize skill and quality when we see it.”</p><p>The support from Lucy’s mother would have been surprising, Wyatt thought, except that this woman always cared if she thought her honor was being attacked in any way. That was a constant. He gave her a properly respectful nod as they kept walking. He noted the way her gaze lingered on his shoulders for a few seconds, but she didn’t seem bothered by what she saw.</p><p>Before Jonas had even finished his stumbling apologies, Lucy turned to Dr. Carlin. “So, what kinds of research have you been doing lately, Doctor?” she asked. “I know you made your name in applying theoretical advances in hyperlink technology to real-world situations. Is that still your focus?”</p><p>Dr. Carlin looked surprised but pleased at her interest. “Uh, yeah, that’s what I’ve been working on for a while now.”</p><p>After that the two of them delved further into a conversation that Wyatt didn’t feel like he followed very well. That didn’t bother him too much, though. He knew Lucy was incredibly smart and well-read. Plus, there was no way she wouldn’t have researched Dr. Carlin and his interests ahead of time. While they all walked into the dining room, he took pleasure from observing that Jonas clearly wasn’t following the conversation, either – and that the guy was very annoyed by this fact.</p><p>The rest of the day passed with no major incident. Lucy continued to pay as much attention to Dr. Carlin as she could without being incredibly rude to Jonas – and she was so sincere about her attention to the doctor that it was hard for Jonas (or her mother, for that matter) to call her out without looking petty. Wyatt thought it was masterfully done. The only thing that worried him was the few times he caught the cracks in Jonas’s composure. Whenever the mask of politeness slipped, Wyatt saw the frustrated rage of someone powerful who wasn’t used to not getting what he wanted. He resolved to be even more careful than usual, until this prick was off the ship.</p><p>He was pleased when Lucy told him, about fifteen minutes after they had gone back to her suite of rooms after dinner, that she’d just received word that Lord Jonas was planning to leave the following morning. “Looks like he finally got the hint,” she said, with a wicked little grin.</p><p>“<i>Hint?</i>” Wyatt said, grinning back. “You mean that club you kept hitting him with, as often as you could? I certainly hope he got it after the tenth blow.” But even as she laughed in appreciation, Wyatt felt himself getting serious again.</p><p>“What is it?” Lucy asked, her smile fading as well.</p><p>“It’s...” He shook his head. “Hopefully it’s nothing.”</p><p>“What?” she pressed, stepping closer.</p><p>“I’m concerned that he might not give up that easily.” Then he frowned, as he saw her look startled and realized how what he’d said could sound. “Which-- I mean, I’m not criticizing what you did today. At all. It’s just, that type of guy can react badly – react dangerously – when he doesn’t get what he wants.”</p><p>At that, Lucy gave a slow nod. “I see what you’re saying. But surely he wouldn’t be that stupid, would he? This is one of the Empire’s flagships. If he were to attack us...”</p><p>“Right. It’s unlikely.” Although privately Wyatt thought she might be giving Jonas more credit than he deserved. Not that he could fault the guy for wanting Lucy – but the way he was going about it… “Anyway. Just a feeling I had.”</p><p>She smiled at him. “Then of course we’ll stay alert until Jonas is gone.”</p><p>Their extra caution almost wasn’t enough, in the end. Jonas had apparently been busy during the afternoon and evening, arranging for some of his people to meet him at the ship. (Unless they had been hiding onboard the whole time, Wyatt thought afterward – which would imply the man had been planning this since before he arrived.)</p><p>Wyatt was nearly asleep later that night when his tablet woke him with a faint beep. It was one of the alerts Wyatt had set up, to warn him about movement in the hall outside Lucy’s suite, at unusual times such as late at night. He sat up, turning off the alert but opening his link to the security cameras. Then he swore and stood up, grabbing his knives. Whoever was out there, there was more than one of them, they were getting close already, and they were doing a halfway decent job of staying out of sight of the cameras. Those added up to more than enough reasons to be concerned.</p><p>But when he tapped the screen to send an alert to the rest of the Preston security team, there was no response. Which made his heart start to pound even harder. This was bad. He tapped it several more times as he started to move. Still no response.</p><p>He had only just reached Lucy’s bedroom door when there was a faint hissing sound from outside in the hall. It took just a second more for him to smell it and realize: gas. Which left him with a choice to make, and moments to make it. He could either shout out to warn Lucy, thereby using up all his oxygen and most likely making sure he would pass out or be paralyzed, or whatever the gas was supposed to cause – or he could save his breath and stay where he was, thereby not giving Lucy a chance to be warned about what was coming. The second choice was probably the most strategic … but Wyatt wasn’t sure he was going to be able to stay still while Lucy was in danger.</p><p>But he had to. If he warned her and then passed out, what good would that end up doing her? So he gritted his teeth and kept holding his breath.</p><p>He managed to wait for about another minute, until the gas had no doubt finished spreading (Lucy was now unconscious, or paralyzed, or something else awful, and he had to try not to think about it) and the doors had been forced open (how was that possible, by the way?!). Six people entered. They were all wearing masks that covered their noses and mouths. One of them still looked familiar, though. Wyatt waited until they were all inside, and then sprang up with a snarl. He would hold his breath as long as he could while he took them out.</p><p>Surprise was on his side at first. He had no trouble taking down two of the men. He didn’t hold back; these were kidnappers or assassins, and they would not take Lucy on his watch.</p><p>Unfortunately, after that, he really had to take a breath – and that meant he started getting lightheaded right away. This stuff was meant to knock him out, he could tell. But if he breathed as sparingly as possible, maybe he could stay upright and fighting.</p><p>He was slowing down. Not a lot, but enough that one of the men made it into Lucy’s quarters, and-- Wyatt held back a useless cry of rage with extreme effort. The man came back out, holding an unconscious Lucy in his arms. And with each glance Wyatt took away from the fourth guy, the one he was currently fighting, his suspicions were confirmed: the familiar figure who was holding Lucy had to be Lord Jonas. The posture, height, and hair color all matched.</p><p>With one final stab, Wyatt thrust aside his current assailant and lunged for Jonas. But he had breathed in enough of the gas by now that he staggered and almost fell instead. He was starting to lose feeling in his legs. Jonas, meanwhile, gestured to the remaining guy with his head and hurried toward the exit.</p><p>Still trying to recover his balance, Wyatt didn’t have time to really defend himself from the last guy’s charge. All he could do was turn just fast enough to escape being stabbed in the ribs. Instead, the guy’s momentum made him run right into Wyatt, knocking them both to the ground. One of Wyatt’s knives flew out of his hand. If Wyatt had still had his full <i>vara</i> crest, his attacker would have probably impaled his left shoulder on Wyatt’s back spines right then, as they hit the floor. Instead, Wyatt felt the guy’s knife score a glancing blow on his side.</p><p>Jonas was getting farther away. On the other hand, the air from outside the room was already helping to clear his head. Wyatt rolled into a crouch before his opponent had a chance to gather himself after the fall. Still, his head wasn’t totally clear – as was shown by the fact that when he threw his remaining knife at the other guy, it only hit him in the upper arm, not the chest. The man cried out. But he was wearing some sort of armor, which meant he could just pull out the weapon and toss it away. Too far away for Wyatt to grab it. The man grinned under his ugly face mask.</p><p>Cursing under his breath, Wyatt didn’t give the guy any more time to recover. Instead, extending his wrist spines, the Warrior dodged his opponent’s blow and then aimed his left wrist spine to inject the venom into the base of the guy’s neck. This caused him to crumple to the ground within seconds.</p><p><i>Lucy</i>. Leaving the guy on the floor, Wyatt scrambled out of the room, pausing only to pick up his nearest knife. When he rounded the nearest corner, he stopped. Quickly, he ducked back behind the wall so he could observe without being seen.</p><p>In front of him, a few yards down the hallway, Lord Jonas was standing, still holding an unconscious Lucy in his arms. Several yards further down the hall, Nera and three other guards stood, their weapons at the ready. Carol Preston was behind them. From his vantage point, Wyatt couldn’t see exactly what Jonas was doing, but Lucy’s mother and the guards looked like they were trying not to look nervous. He himself was glad to see some more of the ship’s guards … but there should have been many more of them.</p><p>“Think about what you’re doing, Jonas,” Carol said, sounding mostly angry (but Wyatt thought he caught at least a hint of worry). “Do you think you’ll be able to do this to our family, and not suffer any consequences? Do you imagine Lucy would just change her mind about you even if you do manage to take her away from here?”</p><p>Jonas’s voice was muffled under his mask as he said, “I didn’t want to have to do this, but she left me no choice! Now, let us through, or I’ll-- I’ll do it!”</p><p>He was armed, Wyatt realized. And threatening Lucy’s life in order to get safe passage back to his ship. Wyatt clenched his fists. A coward of the worst kind, in addition to being a selfish, entitled brute.</p><p>After a tense moment, Lady Preston said, “All right, I’ll tell them to lower their weapons, Jonas. But I’m not just going to let you walk past while you kidnap my daughter!”</p><p>Nera and the others lowered their weapons, as commanded, but did not move aside. Jonas shifted on his feet. Wyatt could hear the man’s harsh breaths from where he was watching. “Fine,” he said, a few seconds later. “I won’t walk past you.”</p><p>There was another route that would lead back to his ship, Wyatt realized – a longer one, much less direct, but if Jonas was planning to come this way--</p><p>The guy took a step backward. He was still looking toward Nera, Lady Preston, and the others, so he didn’t see Wyatt. But Wyatt could now see Lucy more clearly. He could see that Jonas had a tiny ornamental knife pressed to her throat. Ornamental, but still real enough that it could kill her. To make things worse, Wyatt could also see that Lucy’s eyelids were starting to flutter. She was waking up. If she started to struggle at all without realizing what was going on, this could get very ugly, very quickly.</p><p>Jonas took one more step backward. Wyatt made another snap decision. “Hey!” he shouted.</p><p>Startled, Jonas turned to face him. His eyes widened. Wyatt took a risk and used that moment of surprise to throw his own knife. This time, thankfully, his aim was true. His knife struck Jonas right in the hand that was holding the little knife to Lucy’s throat – and even more thankfully, it was at the correct angle to make Jonas yell and pull his hand away, not drive the knife further into Lucy’s skin. Although he did stumble and nearly drop her as a result.</p><p>“Put her down!” Wyatt was already running toward them. Jonas stared at him, then looked toward the other guards, and then down at Lucy, who chose that moment to let out a quiet moan. But he had only shifted his grip on her with his uninjured arm by the time Wyatt got there. So without more than a second’s pause, Wyatt brought his left arm up so that he could press that spine to the man’s neck. “I <i>said</i>, put her down,” he growled. “Unless you want to be dead in the next five seconds.”</p><p>“What--” Jonas started, and then he swallowed as Wyatt pressed a little harder.</p><p>“Maybe you don’t know much about Resanni Warriors,” Wyatt said, ignoring the onlookers, “but I can assure you, this one particular spine is attached to a venom gland. I already used my right wrist spine to kill one of your men. So unless you want to join him, put Lucy down. <i>Now</i>.”</p><p>“Do what he’s telling you, Jonas,” said Carol Preston’s voice from the other direction. “My preference is for you to face imperial justice, but I’m not going to interfere with Wyatt’s method, either. This is your last chance to give up this insanity!” There was a second of silence. “Nera, go be ready to take Lucy from him, if he comes to his senses.”</p><p>Wyatt heard Nera approach, and saw her out of the corner of his eye. He kept his gaze on Jonas. Slowly, still breathing in loud, sharp gasps, the man finally passed Lucy to Nera as Lucy continued to make quiet, unhappy sounds. Once that transfer was complete, Wyatt relaxed – fractionally. He turned so that he could almost see Lady Preston, without taking his gaze all the way off Jonas. “Lady Preston,” he said, “please remind me of what kind of justice he’ll face.” Or I’ll just kill him myself, he was pretty sure he didn’t have to say.</p><p>“He’ll be charged with attempted kidnapping, assault, trespassing, threat to a noble’s life … and let’s see, what else?” Carol cleared her throat. “Oh, yes. He tampered with our ship’s systems, which will mean property damage charges. His men injured a few of our guards, so conspiracy to commit assault.”</p><p>Jonas let out a pathetic little squeak as Wyatt asked, “All right. What’s the likely sentence for all of that, ma’am?” It was a satisfyingly long list of charges.</p><p>“Life on a prison planet, or public execution, depending on our input and the judge’s ruling,” said Lucy’s mother. She sounded coldly pleased as she went on, “Not that a soft noble who has just revealed himself as a colossal fool would live very long on one of the Empire’s prison planets, so he won’t carry on wasting Empire resources for many more months, either way.”</p><p>Wyatt made sure to meet Jonas’s terrified eyes as he grinned. “Well, in that case...” He drew back his arm, and then went ahead and pulled off the stupid mask. He was less than gentle as he tugged it over the man’s face and head. “He’s all yours, Lady Preston.”</p><p>“No!” Jonas yelled, even as the other guards surrounded him and pulled his hands behind his back. “No, you-- you can’t do this! My family--”</p><p>“Your family is going to be shocked and horrified when they hear about this act of sheer lunacy, and will offer no complaint when you get your just punishment,” Carol cut in with a sniff. “Or at least, they’d better not. If they were involved in any way, they’ll face prison as well, after all.”</p><p>Wyatt watched as the would-be kidnapper was led down the hall and away. Then he turned to look at Lucy. Nera had sat down, and was now supporting Lucy half in her lap, half resting carefully on the floor. Lucy was frowning but still not fully conscious. But she was here. She was safe. He let out a sigh.</p><p>“You did well, Wyatt,” said Lucy’s mother right then. When he looked at her, her smile was small but genuine. He could see that she looked both exhausted and much less put-together than usual. “Without your intervention, this would have had a much worse ending.” Before he could reply, she went on, “And speaking of your intervention, I suppose I should contact the relevant authorities, so they can get going on the clean-up work. Nera--”</p><p>Wyatt cleared his throat. “Ma’am, I can take care of Lady Lucy now. Nera doesn’t have to stay, if you’d prefer to have her with you.”</p><p>Carol nodded. “Good. Things are such a mess right now that I need all hands on deck. But – Wyatt.”</p><p>He was just starting to crouch down to receive Lucy from Nera. “Yes, ma’am?”</p><p>“Her quarters will need to be processed and cleaned,” she said. Her gaze flickered, and then she went on, “So you can take her to my guest suite for now. Call for our physician, and in the meantime, use the med scanner there. And also, you’ll need to speak with the Imperial Investigator at some point, once they arrive. They’ll want to hear your report of this incident.”</p><p>“Understood.” He wasn’t exactly looking forward to being required to talk to an imperial official, but he could see why it needed to happen. “I’ll be ready, Lady Preston.”</p><p>The woman nodded again, and then waited while Nera carefully transferred Lucy to Wyatt. With some difficulty, Wyatt kept himself as composed as possible when she immediately clutched at his shirt and buried her face in his shoulder. Her eyes still hadn’t really opened. Some input from a doctor would be good, much as he hated Rittenhouse doctors.</p><p>“All right.” Carol took a deep breath and let it out. “Well. I’ll leave Lucy in your care, then. Assuming she’s recovering well and consents to it, send me an update on her health after Dr. Pon sees her. I’ll be getting an update on the ship system repairs from the captain.”</p><p>“Yes, ma’am.” It was good, he supposed, to see this evidence that Lady Preston cared about her daughter’s health. Even if she was much less demonstrative about it than any Resanni would be in the same situation.</p><p>He waited until Nera and Lady Preston had started to walk away before he considered standing up, himself. Lucy was still restless, though not as much as she had been. “All right, Lucy,” he said quietly. “I’m going to stand up now. You’re safe. I have you.”</p><p>She blinked, opened her eyes for a second, and then closed them again. He took that as a positive sign. When he lifted her up, though, she let out a little cry and tried to struggle out of his arms. “Lucy!” He tightened his grip, but not too much. “Lucy, it’s me. It’s Wyatt.”</p><p>“Wyatt?” Her voice was so faint that anyone further away from her than he was would not have heard it. She squinted up at him.</p><p>“Yeah, it’s me,” he repeated. “I’m just taking you somewhere you can lie down, all right?”</p><p>“Mm.” She seemed to accept that. Anyway, she wasn’t struggling anymore.</p><p>In some ways, Wyatt thought, as he carried Lucy toward her mother’s wing of the ship, this right here had not been a great idea. He had been careful up to this point not to touch Lucy – his pair – more than would be considered appropriate for a bodyguard. Even when it was only the two of them, he limited himself to taking her hand every now and then, for just a few seconds. Just like they had agreed. But now she was pressed against his chest, clinging to him. He could feel her and smell her much better than he ever had. He could even feel what had to be her wings, folded against her back. In almost any other situation, it would be hard to imagine putting her down when they got to the rooms. He never wanted to let go. But she needed medical attention … and he needed to control himself.</p><p>They got to the suite without anyone bothering them. Wyatt was relieved when the door opened at his handprint; he wasn’t sure what he would have done if it hadn’t. Then he went in and very gently laid Lucy down on the bed in the closest room. She frowned as he released her, but didn’t seem too upset. Wyatt sighed. Then, reluctantly, he turned to the bedside table and found the little panel there, with a button to contact the infirmary.</p><p>It wasn’t surprising that the person who answered his call sounded stressed, Wyatt thought. Lucy hadn’t been the only one affected by tonight’s attack. He wondered briefly if Dr. Carlin had been targeted in any way.</p><p>“Do you need medical assistance?” the ship’s doctor was saying, after introducing himself as Dr. Pon.</p><p>He might need a first aid kit for himself, Wyatt realized. One of the attackers had managed to injure him. But there was probably a kit here that he could use without anyone else’s help. “Not for myself, no,” he said. “But Lady Lucy-- there was some kind of gas that knocked her out, and she’s still not totally conscious.”</p><p>“I’ll come immediately,” said Dr. Pon. “Please use the portable med scanner, if possible, so that I’ll be able to treat her more efficiently when I arrive.”</p><p>“I’ll do that.”</p><p>Wyatt had just set up the small metal scanner next to Lucy’s head when she opened her eyes. They weren’t as clear and focused as they should be, but they were much closer. “Wyatt? What happened?”</p><p>“You were drugged – gassed,” he told her, bending closer to make sure he had correctly turned on the scanner. He was aware his voice was anything but calm as he continued, “Jonas tried to take you with him by force.”</p><p>“He <i>what?!</i>” Lucy tried to sit up, but sank back against the pillow with a groan as the scanner made an offended beeping sound. It shut up once she was lying down again. “Ugh.”</p><p>“Yeah, I wouldn’t try moving very much yet,” said Wyatt, reaching out a hand to brush some hair off her forehead. “The ship’s physician is on the way. But you’re already doing a lot better than you were.”</p><p>She took that in for a few seconds. Then her eyes widened again. “Wyatt, you’re bleeding!”</p><p>He followed her gaze, looking down at his side. “Oh, yeah. That. It’s not a problem. I’ll see to it once the doctor gets here.”</p><p>She didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t argue. Instead, she sighed and shut her eyes again. The scan continued to run.</p><p>Wyatt thought Lucy had fallen asleep. He was surprised when, maybe thirty seconds later, she said, “Did I hear something … like you threatening Jonas, that you’d take him out with your venom?”</p><p>She was clearly trying hard to stay awake, though her eyes stayed shut. Wyatt confirmed what she’d heard. “I’m pretty sure he didn’t know that was a thing.”</p><p>She smiled faintly, and then said, “How deadly is it? I mean … how often have you used it … in hand-to-hand fighting?”</p><p>“To be honest, we’ve never had much reason or chance to use it against off-worlders,” said Wyatt. He flexed his hands. It would take three or four hours for the venom to regenerate. Not that he’d be needing it any time soon, he very much hoped, but he didn’t want to think about what could have happened if he’d still been without his venom glands at all. “It definitely killed one of Jonas’s guys. It’s actually less deadly against other Resanni, though.” He shrugged. “Something about evolution, I guess.”</p><p>Lucy sighed again. “Huh.”</p><p>She might well have asked more questions – which Wyatt didn’t mind answering – except the doctor arrived at that moment. Wyatt let him in, quelling his reflexive urge to reach for the knives that he hadn’t yet recovered. This man was here to help Lucy. That was all. And although Dr. Pon clearly noticed the Warrior’s regrowing crest, he didn’t comment on it.</p><p>~~</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Just FYI, I'm not saying that my universe's Rufus is gay - just that since he hasn't shown that much interest in marriage yet, people might think he was.</p><p>Also I figured I might as well do as other Lyatt writers in the fandom have done and make Jonas a bad guy. Heh.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>~~<br/>
It took what had to be several hours for the effects of the gas to wear off for Lucy. She was glad to hear from Dr. Pon that she would be fine, and that there wouldn’t be any lasting effects – but it was still annoying not to be able to stay awake, when she really wanted to. But she knew that Wyatt was there. She was also relieved that Dr. Pon had insisted on Wyatt’s wound being cleaned and bandaged, though the man had allowed Wyatt to do it for himself.</p>
<p>By the time she felt back to normal, it was morning – just about an hour before she would usually get up. But she didn’t want to sleep. Mindful of how dizzy and generally awful she’d felt the last time she tried to sit up, Lucy took it slowly this time. She was relieved when she felt fine. And now she could actually take in her surroundings. “Where… Are we in my mother’s guest suite?”</p>
<p>“We are,” said Wyatt. He had stood up from his seat near the bedroom door. “Your suite is, uh, kind of a mess right now.”</p>
<p>Lucy blinked. She was going to need to hear the details of this kidnapping attempt, but not at this exact moment. “But Jonas is in custody?”</p>
<p>“On his way to his hearing as we speak, Nera tells me,” he said.</p>
<p>That was just fine. Lucy knew she wouldn’t be required to face Jonas in court, but she had the right to, if she chose. That was a decision for later, though.</p>
<p>Then another thought occurred to her. “Is Dr. Carlin all right?” He was supposed to have stayed on the ship for another night, after this last one. If Jonas had--</p>
<p>“Jonas didn’t target him,” Wyatt assured her. “He’s fine. Slept through the whole thing, but asked after you when they woke him up a short while ago.”</p>
<p>Lucy smiled. “That was kind of him.” She didn’t think Dr. Carlin was – what was the word Wyatt’s people used? <i>Sayat</i>? But he was kind and interesting, and not overly full of himself. Plus she’d caught some hints from him that he might also resent how his life had been planned out for him without much personal input. He was a definite contender.</p>
<p>Wyatt pulled the chair over from the doorway and sat down again. He looked tired, she noted. “He seems like a good person,” he said, almost grudgingly. “Do you like him?”</p>
<p>“I do,” she told him, and then went on quickly, “as a friend. I think he would be a good ally to have, and he’s on my very short list of people I would ask about our possible arrangement.”</p>
<p>Wyatt nodded once. “I agree, from what I’ve seen.”</p>
<p>“Good.” Lucy stood up, taking it slow. Wyatt stood as well, offering his arm in case she needed the support. She didn’t, but she put her hand on his for a moment, anyway. “And as another point in his favor, my mother can’t find anything real to complain about in regard to Dr. Carlin, other than that she didn’t choose him herself. Even the fact that he’s interested in scientific research instead of politics, she can’t complain about unless she wants to seem backward and close-minded.”</p>
<p>Wyatt snorted but only said, “Maybe she’s learned her lesson to trust your judgment at least a little bit, given that her favorite candidate for you turned out to be a kidnapper who--” Then he stopped.</p>
<p>“Who what?” Lucy gave him a look. “Wyatt, you know I’m going to read the reports once they’re finished, right?” And then she felt like a terrible friend, and a terrible future pair, when she realized he had stopped himself because he was upset. And if he was upset, that probably meant… “Oh,” she said softly, and took his hand again. “He-- he tried to kill me?”</p>
<p>The Warrior nodded again, stiffly. “He had a knife. He threatened to hurt you if the guards didn’t let him through.”</p>
<p>Lucy shut her eyes for a moment, and then shivered. Jonas had always seemed like a vain, pushy bully to her – but she wouldn’t have imagined he would go that far. She opened her eyes again, meeting his gaze. “Thank you for stopping him.”</p>
<p>He looked at her. “It’s what I’m here for, ma’am,” he said.</p>
<p>~<br/>
That evening, Lucy was just about to turn out her light and climb into bed (back in her own bedroom, thankfully) when she got a call notification on her tablet. She picked it up. It was her mother. Taking a quick breath, Lucy accepted the call. “What is it, Mother?”</p>
<p>Her mother looked like she was also getting ready to turn in for the night. “I just had one more thing I wanted to discuss with you, dear,” she said. “I won’t keep you long.” They had already talked at lunch that day, after the Imperial Investigator had come and gone. Lucy had been surprised but not displeased when her mother had started the conversation by saying how glad she was that Lucy hadn’t been seriously injured by Jonas’s lunacy, and had followed that up by apologizing for not trusting her daughter’s judgment about the man before then. Even though she’d then gone on to say, “Not that any of us could have expected he would try anything so insane as he did,” Lucy still appreciated that her mother had actually admitted that she had been wrong, and Lucy had been right.</p>
<p>“What’s that?” Lucy asked, yawning and stretching out her wings for a moment and then folding them again.</p>
<p>“It’s just the matter of Wyatt’s crest,” she said. “I’ve noticed how much it’s grown back – and I know you must have, too.”</p>
<p>Lucy felt cold all of a sudden. She held back her temper, knowing that wouldn’t help in this situation. “Yes, of course I’ve noticed it. Is there some problem with a Resanni Warrior looking more like he’s supposed to?”</p>
<p>Her mother passed a hand over her chin. “Not as such, no. It’s only that the Empire has its integration standards for a reason – to encourage unity among member species.”</p>
<p>“You know, if Wyatt’s crest hadn’t started to grow back, I could be dead right now,” Lucy said as calmly as she could, dismissing her mother’s comment entirely. ‘Encouraging unity’. <i>Right.</i></p>
<p>Thankfully, her mother seemed to have thought of this fact already. “Yes, you’re right,” she said. “And I’m not going to pretend a more complete crest doesn’t make him more intimidating and effective as a guard, either.”</p>
<p>“Have we gotten any complaints? Did the Imperial Investigator say something?” she asked. She really hoped that wasn’t what had sparked this.</p>
<p>“Not complaints, just comments,” said her mother. “I’ve also received reports that our Wyatt isn’t the only Warrior who’s regaining their crest. So that means we need to decide what to do about them, as a group, again.”</p>
<p>“Well, since Wyatt is my bodyguard, and I want him to be as effective as possible, I will not be forcing him to have his crest removed again.” Lucy made sure she said this firmly, and she was pretty sure her voice hadn’t shaken.</p>
<p>“Forcing? You make it sound like he had no choice, Lucy!” But before she could object, her mother continued, “But regardless, it’s your right to choose how you manage your people, and I don’t have any objections. Your reasoning is sound, and I think the Empire would do well to take it into consideration.”</p>
<p>“Right. Good.” Lucy cleared her throat. She had to maintain her composure, even as she felt the weight of her responsibility here for the remainder of Wyatt’s caste. “Especially since it seems like a second surgery would just be a waste of time and effort.”</p>
<p>“True. I suppose more research could be done into making it permanent, but that also seems unnecessary.” Her mother sighed, and then smiled. “All right. That was all I wanted to talk with you about, dear. Good night.”</p>
<p>“Good night, Mother.” As soon as the call was ended, Lucy let out a shaky breath and rubbed her hands over her face. Hopefully that was it, as far as the Empire’s interest in Wyatt’s crest growing back. And if both Lucy Preston and Carol Preston advised reconsidering that surgery – or at least not requiring Warriors to undergo it twice – that would carry weight with those Empire leaders who made those decisions. She smiled. It felt like she might have just made her first real, large-scale difference, as a result of the position into which she’d been born. That felt good. She would pass on the good result of this conversation to Wyatt the next morning.</p>
<p>~~<br/>
When Lucy told him the next day about the conversation she’d had with her mother, Wyatt had two distinct reactions. One was relief and gratitude, that Lucy had seized that opportunity to make sure she and her mother would present a united front in their advice about how the Empire should treat the remaining Resanni Warriors. The other reaction was a strong desire to check in with Denise Christopher, to see what she might have to say about this. Besides, it had been a long time since he had checked in with her. Too long.</p>
<p>The woman answered his message request right away. “Good morning, Wyatt,” she greeted him, smiling. “It’s good to hear from you. How are you doing?”</p>
<p>“That’s an interesting question, actually,” was his response. He held his tablet so that his shoulders were visible, and heard her take in a breath.</p>
<p>“I see your crest is growing back, too,” she said, and when he positioned the tablet so he could see her face again, he saw she was smiling. “I was hoping that wasn’t only limited to the Warriors still on Resann, for some reason.”</p>
<p>Wyatt’s heart leaped. “So the others, they’re getting theirs back?”</p>
<p>“They are,” Denise affirmed. “Some more slowly than others, but there’s evidence of regrowth in all of your fellow Warriors.”</p>
<p>He shut his eyes for a second and breathed a quick, quiet prayer of thanks. Then he had to take a few slow breaths in and out to keep the tears at bay. Maybe his betrayal really was forgivable. “That’s-- that’s very good news, ma’am. Thank you.”</p>
<p>“I’m glad to be able to pass it along to you,” she said with a nod, tactfully ignoring the way his voice cracked. “Plus, early this morning I started hearing rumors that the Empire’s official policy toward Warriors might change – partially thanks to personal recommendations from Lady Carol Preston and Lady Lucy Preston.”</p>
<p>At that, Wyatt couldn’t have kept a proud smile off his face if he’d tried. “Really?” he said. “More good news.”</p>
<p>“More good news which would not have happened without you, I’m sure,” Denise said. “Apparently, the Prestons have been very pleased and impressed by how well you’re protecting Lucy, and they feel you can do that better if your crest isn’t removed.”</p>
<p>“She certainly gets more than her share of threats,” Wyatt said. The details weren’t Denise’s business, much as he respected her, so he didn’t tell her about the latest attack. Some of it would probably be in the news soon, anyway. If it wasn’t already. “Anyway, how is reconstruction going?”</p>
<p>As she gave him an update on Resann, including the welcome news that the number of Rittenhouse “peacekeeping troops” had been steadily decreasing, Wyatt sat back with a sigh. The weight of guilt he’d been carrying since that horrible day had gotten much, much lighter today. That was a good sign, he thought, for how he would be able to handle the coming weeks and months.</p>
<p>~~<br/>
One Month Later</p>
<p>Lucy managed to succeed at not fidgeting this time – or at least, not much. She didn’t feel bad for not being able to be completely calm, though. There was so much at stake here.</p>
<p>But at least the person waiting with her this time was in her corner, Lucy knew. She glanced over at Wyatt, who was standing at the door of her receiving room. They had decided it would be best for him to stay in the background for the first part of this interview, once he opened the door for their visitor. She had learned from spending time with Rufus that he tended to be a little nervous … and having a Resanni Warrior whose full crest had grown back in standing over him might not be very kind. Especially when they were really hoping to be able to convince him to do something that would not be easy.</p>
<p>There was a knock on the door just then. Lucy took a breath, and then nodded to Wyatt. He gave her a tiny smile. Then he opened the door. “Good evening, Dr. Carlin. Come on in.”</p>
<p>“Thanks,” said Rufus, as he did so. Lucy was pretty sure she saw his gaze travel over all of the spines he wouldn’t have seen the last time he was on the ship. But all he said next was, “And, uh, you know you can call me Rufus. If you want.”</p>
<p>“I’ll keep that in mind.” And then Wyatt withdrew to the opposite side of the room.</p>
<p>“Good evening, Rufus,” said Lucy, standing up to smile at the doctor when he came in. “I hope your trip was uneventful?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, it was boring,” he said, returning the smile. “Which is just how I like it.”</p>
<p>He wasn’t totally at ease, Lucy could see. She thought he might well have guessed why he’d been invited back again, when no one else had. “Let’s sit,” she suggested, and Rufus looked grateful to do so.</p>
<p>As soon as they were seated across from each other, Lucy got down to business. “Well,” she said, folding her hands in her lap, “I’ll start by saying I like you, Rufus. You’re smart, interesting, and honest. Plus, we have in common that we’re not that interested in politics, despite our families. So I’d like to discuss a marriage alliance with you.”</p>
<p>Rufus blinked, and then nodded once. He did not, in fact, seem surprised. When he realized she was waiting for an answer, though, he swallowed before saying, “Um, first of all, thank you. I think you’re interesting and smart, too – and I’ve enjoyed having the chance to talk to you-- with you. And I would be a fool to say anything other than that I’m honored for you to even discuss this with me.”</p>
<p>She watched as he shifted position. “But?” She gestured for him to keep going. “You can be honest. I’m not going to be offended unless you actually say something rude, which I doubt.”</p>
<p>He let out a breath. “Really? You’re not-- annoyed that I’m even hesitating here?”</p>
<p>“No,” she said. “In fact, I want us both to be as honest as possible with each other.” When he still looked skeptical (which was fair), Lucy decided to take a different tack. “All right. To prove I mean that, let me tell you a story, before we try to go any further. I promise it’ll be worth your time.”</p>
<p>“Okay,” said Rufus, raising an eyebrow. “Go ahead. I’m listening.”</p>
<p>“There was a young woman, the daughter of an influential family in the Empire,” Lucy began. She gave a wry smile. “This young woman grew up knowing her duty, but she still wished she could choose what to do with her life, her future, instead of it being chosen for her. She thought about it a lot, but still couldn’t figure out a way to live her own life.</p>
<p>“That changed after she met her new bodyguard, from one of the planets at the edge of the Empire,” Lucy went on, glancing at Wyatt. He met her gaze, but then looked back toward Rufus. “Not only did her new guard enlighten her about the terrible truth of how new planets were incorporated into the Empire she was so entrenched in, he also...” She stopped for a second, clearing her throat. “He also showed that young woman another idea of how she might live her life, if only she could find some way out of the restrictions that had been imposed on her. But to do that, she – <i>they</i> would need to find some allies willing to join with them to play a long game.”</p>
<p>She had watched Rufus’s eyes get wider and wider as her ‘story’ went on, and now he was looking between her and Wyatt in obvious amazement. And that was even before Wyatt crossed the room to stand next to her. Rufus took a deep breath, and then said, “Let me see if I got this right. You two are … what, are you in love? And yet you, Lucy, are still looking to get married, to someone else?”</p>
<p>“I basically have to get married to someone my family has approved, as I think you know. But we’re looking for an ally,” Lucy said, trying not to be hurt by the incredulity she had heard creeping into his tone. She’d told him she wasn’t going to get offended, and he hadn’t actually said anything rude. “Someone who could provide us with respectability, while we work on a way to change things for the better. For everyone, not just us.”</p>
<p>“Ah.” Rufus nodded once. “That’s interesting, I’ll definitely grant you that.”</p>
<p>“We’re not expecting any kind of immediate answer,” Wyatt said, after a pause. “But we would like to ask that you be discreet with what we’ve told you.”</p>
<p>Rufus gave another slow nod. “I figured. Also, I’m not likely to say no to the six-foot-tall Warrior guard who can probably kill me in more ways than I can even imagine.”</p>
<p>Wyatt let out his breath, gave Lucy a look that very much communicated, “You see? I told you,” and then went to sit down, almost on the opposite side of the room again.</p>
<p>They had discussed this possible reaction from Rufus, especially if Wyatt stepped in at any point. Wyatt was intimidating, even to people (like Rufus) who had seen him on multiple occasions. But Lucy had insisted that she didn’t think it was fair to keep him in the background, since everything that was being discussed involved him, too. Now, though, Lucy sighed. Maybe Wyatt had had a point.</p>
<p>Seeing this interaction, Rufus cleared his throat and said, “Uh, not that I mean any offense, or anything. It’s just a fact. I’m not a fighter.”</p>
<p>“It’s also a fact that I’m a bodyguard, not some kind of assassin or punisher,” Wyatt muttered, but loud enough that Rufus would hear it.</p>
<p>“Okay, fair enough,” said Rufus. He shifted in his seat. “Sorry. And I get why you’d ask for me to be discreet. I can do that.”</p>
<p>“Good. Thank you,” said Lucy. She organized her thoughts again. “I hope sharing that also helps show we mean it when we ask for honesty.”</p>
<p>“It does,” Rufus affirmed. “So in that spirit, can I ask some clarifying questions?”</p>
<p>“Of course.”</p>
<p>The doctor looked at Lucy, then at Wyatt, then back at Lucy again. “All right. So. Just to be clear, what you’re asking for is someone who would agree to a marriage that’s a marriage in name only. A marriage that would get the stamp of approval from our families, so they leave us alone – but then you two would want to, uh, be together?”</p>
<p>Lucy and Wyatt looked at each other. Lucy’s face was just slightly warm as she said, “That sums it up pretty well, yes.”</p>
<p>“And you expect that your fake husband would be fine with you two having kids together, or whatever?” Rufus winced a little after that question, but didn’t apologize for his bluntness.</p>
<p>She took a deep breath. “We know that’s a lot to ask.”</p>
<p>“I’ve got to admit, it seems like the fake husband in this arrangement would get a lot less benefit than you two. And he’d get more than his fair share of the negative fallout when people found out.”</p>
<p>“Well, we would hope to have found a way to move forward before we reach that point,” Lucy said, although saying that out loud to Rufus made it sound even less likely than it had before.</p>
<p>“Plus,” said Wyatt, in an almost apologetic tone, “there’s the benefit of Lucy’s family name. Which would give everyone involved protection for a longer time.”</p>
<p>Rufus gave a reflective nod, even as Lucy shot Wyatt a grateful look. That was true, whether it was fair or not. Until her mother decided to make it untrue, of course. Then Rufus said, “You’ve given me a lot to consider here. Is it all right if I go back to my ship for a few hours to think this all over?”</p>
<p>Lucy agreed to this reasonable request, and Rufus took his leave a few minutes after that. Once the door had closed behind him, she turned to Wyatt. “Well. That went all right, for a start.”</p>
<p>“For a start,” Wyatt allowed, although he didn’t seem optimistic. “Not that we have any idea what he’s going to say when he comes back.”</p>
<p>“Yes, but he seems like the kind of person who would have refused right away, if he wasn’t even a little bit interested,” Lucy said. She thought she was reading Rufus correctly in that.</p>
<p>He shrugged. “You might be right. But I guess we’ll just have to see.”</p>
<p>As it turned out, Rufus was a little bit interested – but not in the exact way Lucy and Wyatt had hoped. “I’m not willing to do a fake marriage – or a marriage in name only – even though I like you as a person, Lucy,” he said. “But I have a suggestion that might work out better for all of us. Have you ever met my uncle, Connor Mason?”</p>
<p>Lucy blinked. “Uh, once, very briefly. At one of the high society meetings my mother <i>encouraged</i> me to attend a few years ago.” She didn’t remember much about the interaction, to be honest, other than that Mr. Mason had been polite.</p>
<p>With a wry grin, Rufus said, “Right. That makes sense. I’m guessing Connor didn’t make a dramatic impression?”</p>
<p>“Not really, no,” said Lucy.</p>
<p>“That’s the way he prefers it, unless he’s negotiating for something he thinks is important,” said Rufus. “See, he likes to invest in projects and ideas that catch his imagination. He has the money to choose what he wants, too. But he doesn’t have the name recognition that he’d like, in order to make better connections.”</p>
<p>It took a second, and then Lucy saw where Rufus was headed. “You’re suggesting I ask your uncle if he wants to marry me?”</p>
<p>“I know he’s … outside your preferred age bracket,” Rufus said. “But since he’s already been married once and widowed, I can state with some degree of confidence that he won’t mind a second marriage that’s purely for political reasons – or at least, that he could be pretty easily convinced not to mind. Hell, even with his first marriage, he wasn’t particularly romantic, though they were happy together. It was more of an intellectual partnership.”</p>
<p>“All right,” said Lucy, trading glances with Wyatt. “That sounds possible, at least. And I do understand why you might prefer to find someone who is interested in a romantic relationship, with you.”</p>
<p>“I know it’s not very likely I’ll find someone my family approves,” Rufus admitted with a shrug. Then he lowered his voice, looking around as if to make sure no one else was there. “But that’s part of why I did want to tell you both: if you’re serious about working to change things for the better, count me in.”</p>
<p>At that, Lucy’s eyebrows rose and she smiled, a genuinely pleased smile. Wyatt was smiling as well, she saw. “That, I think we can agree on without needing to discuss it further,” he said.</p>
<p>Rufus smiled back. “Good.”</p>
<p>“The only issue before we move forward with trying out your other idea is,” Lucy said, after a brief pause, “what to tell our parents. Since both my parents and yours have to be expecting a marriage agreement at this point.”</p>
<p>“Well,” said Rufus, scratching the side of his face, “that doesn’t necessarily have to cause any problems. Assuming Connor is all right with all of this – which I think he will be – I can just say to my family and anyone who asks that I’ve talked with him, and that since he expressed an interest, I wanted to, uh, show him the proper respect or honor or whatever by letting him have this opportunity. And you’re totally fine with the idea.”</p>
<p>Hiding a smile at Rufus’s word choice, Lucy told him, “All right. That sounds reasonable enough. I can tell my parents the same thing – once you contact your uncle, run this by him, and then ideally set up a link so I can chat with him directly, as well.”</p>
<p>“And as long as you’re one hundred percent sure he’s trustworthy, too,” added Wyatt.</p>
<p>“Oh, he is,” Rufus assured them both. “Once I explain to him – discreetly, over a link that I will make absolutely sure is private – what we’re all hoping to work toward, I know he’ll understand the need for taking precautions to make sure no one else finds out.”</p>
<p>Wyatt looked satisfied. “That sounds fine, then.”</p>
<p>“And yeah, I’ll get a link set up for you as soon as I can, Lucy,” the man went on. “Connor can be kind of self-important, but he’s got a good heart. So hopefully you two will decide you can stand each other just fine.”</p>
<p>It wasn’t like she didn’t have plenty of experience dealing with people who were self-important. “Hopefully.” Lucy took a deep breath. This might end up being better than her original idea. Possibly. At any rate, it sounded like it could work at least as well as she and Wyatt had hoped. “Let’s get this started, then – if we’re all agreed?”</p>
<p>Rufus and Wyatt confirmed their agreement. It was time to move forward.</p>
<p>~~<br/>
It was after Lucy’s first conversation with Connor Mason (which Wyatt hadn’t participated in, until the end) that she came to him, looking worried. “Hey. So. I just… I just want to be sure, before Connor and I announce to our respective families that we’re moving toward marriage.”</p>
<p>“Be sure of what?” He set down the security update he’d been reading on his tablet.</p>
<p>“That you’re okay with this.” She twisted her hands together. All of her confidence from before, when they had been talking about all of this with Rufus, seemed to be gone. “That you’re actually willing to stand in the background while I try to make this crazy plan work. And if it works, and I end up asking you to move with me onto Connor’s ship … I can’t imagine this isn’t going to hurt you.”</p>
<p>Wyatt stood up and went to her. He took a moment to put his thoughts in order as he took one of her hands. “It is going to hurt,” he admitted, and then went on before she could look too crushed, “but since I know it means only a delay until we can be together, it’ll hurt much less than-- I mean, before you told me about your plan, I thought there was no hope at all.”</p>
<p>At that, Lucy’s expression softened. She squeezed his hand. Then she said, “Okay. Well, hope is good. But please tell me if you need to take a break during any of this – or you need me to take one – or even if you end up not liking Connor and deciding we need to keep looking for someone else.”</p>
<p>“I’ll do that,” he told her. “I promise.” Privately, he was pretty sure he wasn’t going to want to do anything that would make this whole process take longer. But that didn’t include him keeping quiet if anything in Mason’s behavior or personal history was suspicious.</p>
<p>~<br/>
Three Weeks Later</p>
<p>Being Lucy’s bodyguard during her wedding was surreal, to say the least.</p>
<p>Wyatt had heard that some Falaran nobles had huge, extravagant wedding ceremonies and celebrations that lasted for days. A member of one of the Empire’s most important families would certainly have the right to follow that example. Thankfully, neither Lucy nor Connor Mason wanted that kind of thing. Instead, the two had agreed (after their initial series of video chats, and one in-person meeting) to hold a short ceremony planetside, at the Victory Monument just outside the Cahill-Preston estate. Lucy had told both Mason and Wyatt that this choice of location was strategic: it would please her family (mostly her mother) so much that she wasn’t likely to protest how short and relatively simple they kept the ceremony. That had turned out to be true.</p>
<p>So here Wyatt was, standing at attention in his crisp, new, tailor-made wedding garb. It matched the traditional dress uniforms of Falaran guards as much as possible for a Resanni Warrior with a full vara crest. A proud Lucy had pronounced his look perfect. Lady Carol had pronounced it impressive and “very fitting for such an occasion”. Mason himself had stared at him with wide eyes before stating that no one in their right mind would dare attack during the wedding, if they saw him. Rufus, who was of course an honored guest, had agreed even as he berated his uncle for even bringing up the possibility of an attack. That was bad luck, apparently.</p>
<p>Wyatt’s first impression of Mason, that he was a decent guy, hadn’t changed. He didn’t like him as much as he liked Rufus, but maybe that was just because of the inherent awkwardness of their respective relationships with Lucy. Nothing about him gave Wyatt any hint that he wasn’t trustworthy, at least. It spoke well of the man that he had been upfront about having been a supporter of the Rittenhouse Empire’s goals at first, before he’d found out more and changed his mind. This revelation had come after a few video chats. Lucy also appreciated his honesty, Wyatt knew.</p>
<p>So Wyatt stood and watched, under the warmth of Falar’s springtime sun, as Lucy went through the steps to be officially married to Connor Mason. She looked gorgeous in her simple but elegant blue dress. Mason’s tie and dress shirt were the same color. Wyatt did his best to stay as emotionally detached from the ceremony as possible, staying alert but not thinking too hard about the fact that his pair was in the process of gaining a husband (to use the Falaran term) who wasn’t him. He had been given a rundown in advance of what was going to be happening, so it wasn’t a shock, for instance, to see that there was no religious aspect to this marriage. It was still odd, though. Everyone on Resann went to stand before a priest when they were joined with their pair, though it wasn’t a complicated process.</p>
<p>Wyatt allowed his gaze to travel over the small audience gathered in front of the monument steps. Everyone’s attention seemed to be fixed on the two people currently reciting their very formal, memorized vows. No one looked angry, upset, or anything worse than bored. That was good.</p>
<p>Lucy and Mason were just finishing with their vows. Wyatt glanced toward them, and then quickly scanned the area again. He was going to be able to keep his cool – but not if he focused too much on staring at Lucy right now.</p>
<p>The reception after the marriage ceremony was an even smaller group, thankfully, and in a more secure location. The event hall’s smaller reception room did have one disadvantage, though: closer quarters meant that although Wyatt was stationed at the edge, he was forced to listen to more of the conversation going on around the round tables set up in the room.</p>
<p>“They’re a handsome enough couple,” said one of the guests, who Wyatt supposed was from the Preston-Cahill side. She and her friend were walking over to the table that was loaded down with various kinds of fruits and desserts. “But I wonder why she chose Connor Mason, of all people. I’m sure he wasn’t in her mother’s top ten list.”</p>
<p>“Yes, well, she’s an adult now, so she can make her own decisions – odd though they might be,” said the first woman’s friend. “At least Mr. Mason probably won’t turn out to be an entitled psycho like Lord Jonas. Did you hear about that?”</p>
<p>“My dear, <i>everyone</i> heard about that,” was the first woman’s response. “Did you hear that the only reason Lord Jonas didn’t succeed in carrying off Lady Lucy was because of her Resanni bodyguard? He’s supposedly all but invincible in a fight.”</p>
<p>The two stopped in the process of picking up plates of food to stare over at Wyatt. He pretended he hadn’t been listening to them, focusing his gaze on the rest of the room.</p>
<p>“I hadn’t heard that tidbit,” said the second woman. “He does look pretty fearsome.”</p>
<p>“Definitely,” she agreed. “And the uniform looks good on him, I’ll admit.” Then she lowered her voice, and if it weren’t for Resanni Warriors’ extra-keen hearing, Wyatt probably would have missed her next comment: “It makes me wonder what such a savage fighter might be like to get to know. In bed.”</p>
<p>Her friend laughed, scandalized. “Nora!”</p>
<p>“Well, and why not?” Nora said, as the two of them started to carry their plates back to their table. “How many people here in the civilized part of the Empire will ever have the chance to...” But by then they were out of hearing range.</p>
<p>Wyatt swallowed hard and kept his expression professional. He had a job to do. It didn’t matter what the other guests were chattering about – as long as it wasn’t any kind of threat to Lucy’s safety.</p>
<p>~~</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter posted! Not only did I have a little bit of writer's block for part of it (thanks to my sister Mack_the_Spoon for the idea about Rufus suggesting Connor), but then there was the whole global pandemic thing in the midst of some busy times at work. Hope you all are doing okay, hunkering down, and staying safe!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>~~<br/>
Lucy was exhausted by the time the day’s festivities were over. She, Wyatt, and a few people from her mother’s household staff who had agreed to become part of the Preston-Mason household staff were now onboard her new husband’s ship, the <i>Venture</i>. They were planning to travel to Connor’s (and Rufus’s) home planet, Kalrissia, which would not be a long journey from Falar. Connor had given her a kind pat on the arm as soon as they boarded the ship and then directed her to her suite of rooms. “It won’t be as expansive as your suite on <i>Falar’s Honor</i>, but hopefully you’ll find it acceptable.”</p><p>“I’m sure it will be,” she told him with a smile. “Thank you.”</p><p>Connor had returned the smile, and then looked between her and Wyatt. “Well. Make yourselves at home. I’ll be in my quarters.”</p><p>The two of them waited until Connor had headed off to his rooms. Then Wyatt cleared his throat. “I guess there’s no way this thing isn’t going to be awkward.”</p><p>Lucy was forced to agree.</p><p>Since then, they had been left to themselves for about half an hour, which they had both used to clean up and change into more comfortable clothes. When she came out of her room, she saw that Wyatt was now sitting in the main room, looking at something on his tablet.</p><p>“What’s that?” she asked, covering a yawn with one hand and coming to sit in the chair next to him.</p><p>“Just the layout of this ship, and of Mason’s property on Kalrissia,” he said, setting down the tablet. “So I can start to get familiar with it now.”</p><p>If he was even half as tired as she was, Lucy thought, he deserved a break. Which he wouldn’t really get until this evening. She sighed.</p><p>“You all right?” he asked, looking at her more closely. “It’s been a long day already.”</p><p>She scoffed. “You’re the one who’s actually been working. I’ve just been … standing, and saying a few words, and shaking people’s hands.”</p><p>“I’ve been doing a lot of ‘just standing’, too,” Wyatt pointed out. He smiled and went on, “So I guess it’s safe to say we’re both tired.”</p><p>“I guess,” she said. She yawned again. It was a good thing the two of them hadn’t planned for anything in particular on the other end of this particular trip; she wasn’t sure she would have been up for it. Not without a good solid night’s sleep first, anyway. But she and Wyatt had agreed they wouldn’t be rushing to be together quite yet. That would have been too disrespectful to Connor – and besides, they all had to make sure a few things were put in place, first.</p><p>“Why don’t you rest for a while – at least until we get there?” Wyatt suggested. “I know it won’t be for long, but it’ll help.”</p><p>The idea was very appealing. Even half an hour would be nice. She made herself sit up straight instead of just dropping off right where she was. “I will – if you get some rest, too.” As she stood up, she touched his shoulder. “I know you’re still supposed to be on duty, but at least relax as much as you can, knowing that we’re both pretty safe right now.” For one thing, the number of threats against her would no doubt be decreasing a certain percentage now that she was ‘off the market.’ (That phrase was highly demeaning, but it was true).</p><p>He acknowledged this with a nod, his gaze lingering on her, and set down the tablet. “I’ll do that.”</p><p>Lucy was, in fact, refreshed by her quick nap. That was good, since things got busy again for a while once they arrived on Kalrissia. She and Connor oversaw the unloading of her belongings into what would be her wing of his house on the planet’s surface. Then she and Wyatt met all of the staff (thankfully not as many people as at the Cahill-Preston estate). After that, they had a brief break before dinner.</p><p>Finally, all of that was done. Lucy was fading, but she hadn’t gone through years of training as her mother’s daughter without being able to keep up her role as hostess well enough. But Connor didn’t draw anything out. He walked with her down the hall (Wyatt right behind them), and then stopped at the intersection of the hall. Down the left side were his rooms, and to the right were hers.</p><p>“Goodnight, Lucy,” said Connor. “Sleep well, and please do let me or my house manager know if there’s anything you need.”</p><p>“Goodnight, Connor,” she said to him. Her husband. It was still an odd thought, though her smile at him was sincere. “And thank you.”</p><p>“You’re very welcome,” he said. Then he grinned. “Although I do ask that sometime in the next week, we have our first real chat about those investment ideas you mentioned to me. I’m keen to get started.”</p><p>“That shouldn’t be a problem,” she assured him. “We’re eager to get started, too.”</p><p>“Good.” As he turned away, Connor’s gaze went to Wyatt. “I hope you understand what I mean when I say, may your duties be boring while you’re here, Wyatt.”</p><p>It only took a second before Wyatt nodded and said, “I understand, sir. Thank you, and I hope they will be, too.”</p><p>~~<br/>
Wyatt was frankly relieved when, after only two days of living at the Mason estate, the master of the house called a meeting of all the staff and asked Lucy and Wyatt to be present. Then he explained that while Lady Lucy (whose official name, Wyatt had learned, was now Lady Lucy Cahill Preston Mason) was now his wife, this was more like a business partnership than the type of marriage that would occur to most people.</p><p>“Also,” Mason went on, “part of this partnership involves an agreement that Lady Lucy be allowed to live her private life in the way she wishes. Which is to say, I’m asking all of you to treat her and her people with the respect and discretion that they deserve, as part of our joint household now.”</p><p>Wyatt had watched all of the assembled staff as they heard this. It hadn’t seemed to go quite far enough, to him, but maybe it was fine. Each person had given a bow to Mason and to Lucy, and then Mason had dismissed them. As soon as he and Lucy were alone, Wyatt asked, “So, what Mason just said – all the staff understood it? They know what he was asking?”</p><p>“Oh, definitely,” she assured him. “I know it probably sounded very indirect--”</p><p>“Extremely.”</p><p>“--But they all got it. There was no need to make things more explicit.”</p><p>Well, he would trust that two people who had been born into this system understood it better than he ever would. “Okay. Good.” He didn’t want resentment building up among Mason’s people, if they thought Lucy was doing something behind their boss’s back. The more they all accepted her, even with the <i>unusual</i> aspects of her marriage to their boss, the better for her safety. Although part of him was still having trouble believing some of those aspects would ever come to be.</p><p>It was a week later, after they had both gotten more used to the routine of life on Kalrissia, that Lucy surprised Wyatt with a question that was a lot more blunt than he was expecting.</p><p>They had just gotten back to her suite after lunch, and Lucy went to the sitting room as usual. She sank down onto the couch with a sigh. As Wyatt came over to sit as well, she looked up and said, “So I was thinking, maybe one more week of waiting, while Connor and I discuss more with Rufus about how we might safely start to get the word out about the truth behind the Empire’s expansion. Can you wait that much longer for us to be together?”</p><p>He realized after not too many seconds of staring at her that he needed to respond. “Uh.” That still wasn’t really a response.</p><p>“Wyatt?” She stood up, reaching out to take his hand. “Are you all right? You’re not-- not getting sick from waiting, or--?”</p><p>“No, I’m not sick,” he cut in. His mark had continued to ache on and off during these past weeks, but nothing worse had happened. He tried to refocus on her first question. “I can wait a week. Of course I can. It’s just...”</p><p>“What?” She was still looking right at him, with that clear gaze of hers that was so hard to look away from. Not that he usually wanted to.</p><p>Wyatt sighed and decided to come out with it. “It’s just… I need to ask you something.”</p><p>“Then ask.” Now she looked slightly nervous, which was not what he wanted at all.</p><p>“I just need know, are are you still sure this is what you want?” He gestured to himself. “That <i>I’m</i> what you want? Because I know what I want, but I don’t want you to agree just out of-- out of some sense of obligation, because of this.” He held out his accordance mark.</p><p>Her eyes widened, and then a variety of expressions passed across her face before she very deliberately put her hand over his mark and the spine that was right there. As always, her touch there made him take a sharp breath.</p><p>“It’s not obligation, Wyatt,” she was saying. “Not in the slightest. I think this,” and she touched the mark again, “was a sign for me, that helped me notice what-- who was right in front of me. But I like to think I would have gotten there eventually, anyway.” She gave him a self-deprecating chuckle.</p><p>Wyatt smiled, and then took in what she had just said. She would have wanted to be his pair, even without the mark?</p><p>“The point is,” Lucy went on, stepping closer to him, “I do want this. I want you, Wyatt. It’s been getting harder for me to wait, too.”</p><p>“Oh.” He kept staring at her, mesmerized. That probably wasn’t a good enough answer for what she had just told him, but words weren’t coming.</p><p>“In fact,” she said, after some very long seconds, during which she was just staring at him, too, “I have an idea.” She cleared her throat, and stepped away with one more lingering look.</p><p>Wyatt cleared his throat as well, and rubbed a hand over his face. This was going to be a long week. “What’s your idea?” he asked, aware that his voice was hoarse.</p><p>She went into her room and came out again holding her own tablet. “I want to find out if there are any local tattoo artists who could come out in the next day or so.”</p><p>Now he was completely confused. “Tattoo artists? What--?”</p><p>“I want to have my own accordance mark,” she said then, holding out her wrist. “Although I haven’t quite decided – I mean, it feels sort of … disrespectful, or something, if I just have the artist copy your mark. So I was thinking, maybe a word in Resa script?”</p><p>It was going to be a long week, but it was also going to be worth it, Wyatt was certain. He crossed the room so he could bend to kiss that spot on her wrist. Then he looked up to meet her eyes. This time, he thought, no words needed to be said.</p><p>~~<br/>
That next week passed in an odd mixture of days (and nights) that seemed to drag on forever, and moments of excitement and hope. The latter moments mostly came surrounding her meetings with Connor and Rufus – who sometimes joined them in person, and sometimes via a screen. The two men were close to finishing the plans for a hack into the Empire’s main communication software, through which they would begin adding materials and information to counteract the Empire’s propaganda and censorship. Lucy knew this was no simple task: the Empire had a hell of a lot of experts working to keep information limited to what they wanted to be disseminated, and nothing else. The idea was to start by sharing facts that Rufus (and a few of his friends that he trusted) had dug up about the Empire’s expansion and invasions. They were hoping to even include some video clips. Connor, Lucy had found, was genuinely invested in putting in the effort to help make this plan work. He was also looking forward to a future time when he could convince all of these friends of Rufus to pool their skills and intelligence into a well of inventiveness whose efforts he could sponsor – and eventually profit from. He’d been upfront about that, and Rufus seemed at least open to the idea.</p><p>Lucy still wanted to give Wyatt the chance to tell the truth about what he had personally experienced during the Rittenhouse invasion of his home planet. But that would have to wait until they could figure out a way to make sure his story wouldn’t be traced back to him immediately. Wyatt agreed, although his main worry wasn’t for himself as much as it was that Rittenhouse would use his story as a pretext to destroy the rest of his caste. Either way, that meant caution for now.</p><p>Another high point had been her new tattoo. It had ended up hurting more than she expected for such a small design on her wrist, but it was worth it. Lucy wasn’t sure if it was her rigid Falaran upbringing that had given Wyatt reason to start doubting in the first place, but whether that was it or not, it was clear she must not have been as good at showing her feelings to him as she should have been. Now, however, she had given him a permanent, visible reminder that she was all in.</p><p>And then, just this morning, Connor had told her and Wyatt that he was going to visit his nephew for a while, to spend more time planning their next move in person. “I’ll be gone for at least three days. While I’m away, if you were interested in a retreat of your own, I would recommend my new cabin. It was finished last year. It’s a mile out from the main house, nice and private, and it’s always kept ready for use. Not much staffing required – or none at all, if you’re willing to work a little bit.” Then he looked meaningfully between the two of them. “You might just find it very much to your liking.”</p><p>Then, before either of them could say more than a surprised thanks, Connor had just waved his hand and said, “I’ll see you two later.” And if he hadn’t looked entirely free of awkwardness, he had looked genuinely happy for them. Or at least, Lucy thought so.</p><p>So now, she and Wyatt were here, in the beautiful, secluded cabin Connor had suggested. (Wyatt had commented that it was much fancier than he had thought, given that Connor called it a cabin. She hadn’t disagreed.) They were alone; a few staff had come with them to make sure everything was furnished to Lady Lucy’s standards, and that they had enough supplies to last a few days. Then those staff members had left. But there were enough guards on the estate itself that Wyatt could afford to take a break, at least for this short while.</p><p>And suddenly it felt a little awkward between the two of them, too. Which was odd, and very unwelcome. Lucy gave herself a mental shake, and then gave Wyatt a self-deprecating smile. “Okay, is it just me feeling weirdly like there’s-- um, suddenly a lot of pressure here?”</p><p>Wyatt huffed a laugh, scratching the side of his face. Then he shook his head. “No. Not just you.”</p><p>“Well, then.” She smiled again, aware she was blushing, and shrugged. “Now that we both know that, we can move past it. Right? I’ll just go freshen up for a few minutes, and we can relax. We don’t have to rush anything.” And then after she went into the bathroom, she replayed what she had just said in her head and cursed at herself. <i>Rush</i> anything? They’d been waiting for months now. Had she sounded flippant, or like the wait hadn’t bothered her?</p><p>But then she shook her head, took a deep breath, and let it out. She was overthinking this. This was Wyatt. She knew him, and cared about him – maybe she was ready to go so far as to say that she loved him. And he knew her and loved her.</p><p>With that in mind, she took a few more seconds to freshen up, smoothed down her hair a bit, and then stepped out of the bathroom into the bedroom. There was Wyatt, hanging up his outer shirt in the wardrobe. Their wardrobe, for their bedroom, which they would be sharing for the duration of their stay here. She allowed herself to watch him as he moved. She didn’t have to be so careful and restrained now. It was just them.</p><p>When he turned around and saw her, he smiled. Then as if he had overheard her thoughts, he took a few more seconds just to let his eyes travel over her. It was obvious he liked what he saw. He moved toward her – slowly, as if giving her the chance to stop him.</p><p>Lucy didn’t stop him. In fact, she met him in the middle. When she reached for his face, she saw him swallow hard. And then, before either of them could second-guess themselves, she leaned up and kissed him.</p><p>Wyatt only took a second to respond. Then he was kissing her back, enthusiastically, with his hands coming up to caress the sides of her face, as well. She touched the stubble on his jaw and smoothed her hands along the spines there. Not breaking contact with Wyatt, she urged them toward the bed. He followed without hesitation.</p><p>~</p><p>When Lucy woke up sometime in the early morning hours, it took her several drowsy, contented minutes to realize there was something a bit odd about the fact that she was lying in Wyatt’s arms, with him spooned behind her in the bed. But eventually it came to her: how was he lying on his side? He had spines on his shoulders. She would have thought that would make such a position impossible. And now that she was thinking about it, how had he been on his back some of the time last night, considering the part of his crest that was at the base of his skull and down his back? As busy as she and Wyatt had been (and Lucy smiled again, remembering), she was sure she would have noticed if Wyatt had shredded their pillows or blankets with his crest.</p><p>Now more fully awake, she turned over to look at the still-sleeping Resanni Warrior – her pair. He barely stirred at her motion, though his arms stayed loosely around her as they had been when she woke. In fact, Lucy thought, she had never seen him this relaxed. Which must be partly her doing, of course. She smiled again.</p><p>And then her gaze traveled to the one shoulder of his that she could currently see … and her eyes widened. Where were the spines? She reached out her hand and touched where they were supposed to be. And there they were, but much, much shorter than usual. She could only just feel the ends of the spines above his skin. That was curious. She stroked her hand over his shoulder. Was something wrong, or was this normal? Maybe it was normal. She hadn’t really spent much time thinking about how a <i>vara</i> or any Warrior with much of a crest would have to sleep, given the spines.</p><p>Under her touch, Wyatt took in a slow breath and then cracked open his eyes. He smiled as soon as he saw her. “<i>Alanneia</i>. Good morning.”</p><p>“Good morning,” she said, with an answering smile. That had to have been a word in Resa. She liked how it sounded, and wondered what it meant. She caressed the side of his face again, taking care with the spine there. “Sorry for waking you.”</p><p>“Not a problem,” he said, and leaned closer so he could kiss her lightly. His hands trailed over her folded wings, making her quiver with pleasure.</p><p>But neither of them felt any need to take things any further than that at the moment. Lucy pulled away just enough so she could look him in the eyes again. “What was that word you said, right when you woke up? Something in Resa?”</p><p>It took Wyatt a moment, and then he looked very slightly embarrassed. “Oh. Yeah, it was in my language. I didn’t even think. It means...” He paused, and then almost reverently stroked her face as he said, “<i>Alanneia</i> means ‘my heart’. Which is you.”</p><p>Lucy felt her own heart melt. She swallowed past the lump in her throat and then said, “Oh. Well, I like that. I like it a lot, Wyatt.” It paired well with the word she had written on her wrist (and could be etymologically related, she realized) in Resa script, too: <i>velinne</i>. Beloved.</p><p>“Good.” He moved her hand to his chest, so she could feel his heart beating.</p><p>They were quiet for a while, and in fact Lucy had started to drift off. Then her question from earlier came back to mind. “Hey – what happened to your shoulder spines?” she asked, reaching to touch them again. “And the ones on your back, for that matter.”</p><p>Wyatt blinked, and then chuckled. “I guess you wouldn’t have any reason to know that,” he acknowledged. “I-- what’s the word?” He thought for a second, and then looked mildly frustrated. “There’s a word for it. Like what a cat does with its claws?”</p><p>“Retract?”</p><p>“That’s it,” Wyatt said with a nod. “A Warrior can retract this part of his or her crest for sleep,” he said, pointing at his shoulder. “We don’t, normally. Normally I just sleep on my front, and don’t move much. But when we’re with our pair...” He smiled at her again, and then it turned into a smirk. “Well, I need to be able to move freely when I’m spending the night with you.”</p><p>“True,” agreed Lucy with a grin. “We did plenty of moving.” It wouldn’t make much sense for a Warrior’s own body to stop them from being able to have sex.</p><p>“Plus, I need to be able to make sure I won’t hurt you accidentally,” he went on, looking more serious. “That’s part of the reason I relaxed all of the spines on my back, too.”</p><p>“What do you mean?” She sat up, curious.</p><p>He obliged by turning over so she could see his back. The six spines that started from the base of his skull were all folded flat, she saw, with the topmost one flat against the next one, and the next one, until the farthest-down spine, which was lying flat against his back. “See?” he said, turning to look over his shoulder. “So I can lie down on my back if I want to.”</p><p>“I see,” she said. She ran her hand along the line of spines, smiling when he let out a rumbling hum of pleasure. “But you don’t usually do this at night, or when you rest?”</p><p>“No,” he said, turning to face her. He put his arms around her again. “Unless a Warrior is sleeping with our pair, we aren’t fully relaxed even when we sleep. Normally I’d sleep on my front, like I said, which would mean I’d be ready to jump up at a moment’s notice. But right now, it’s going to take me a few minutes to be battle-ready when we get out of bed.”</p><p>Lucy pondered this. Again, it made sense for a Warrior to be able to keep their pair from being injured by their crest while they slept or shared a bed. But… “Does that mean you haven’t had a really good night’s sleep since-- since your first pair died?”</p><p>He shrugged. “It’s just how it is. And it’s not like I was always exhausted or anything.”</p><p>She frowned. “Still.”</p><p>“I’m not saying it isn’t better now,” Wyatt said, stroking her hair. “It is. Much better.”</p><p>“For me, too,” she told him, and he smiled again.</p><p>After another pause, he moved one hand back to her wings. “Is it uncomfortable when you lie on your back, with these?”</p><p>Lucy shook her head. “Not really. I mean, I wouldn’t sleep that way for a whole night, probably.”</p><p>“Well, good,” he said. “I’d feel like a monster if I found out I took care for my crest not to hurt you, but didn’t take care to make sure I wasn’t hurting you some other way.”</p><p>Despite the seriousness of his expression just then, Lucy found herself laughing a little. “Don’t worry, Wyatt. You’re not going to crush me, or my wings. I’m stronger than I look.”</p><p>“Oh – that, I know for sure,” he stated, leaning in for another kiss. This time, things got heated again – much to their mutual pleasure.</p><p>Some minutes later, when they went back to resting, Wyatt resumed stroking her wings. Then he stopped the motion so that he was holding the edge of her right wing very carefully in his hand. “They’re beautiful, you know,” he said. “Though I’ll admit I was – distracted, when I last saw you with them open.”</p><p>Blushing a little at that memory, Lucy nonetheless sat up and extended both wings then, and glanced over her shoulder. There was enough light even this early in the morning for the iridescence to be visible. When she looked back at her pair, he was gazing at her wings with such open admiration – almost awe – that she blushed harder. Her Transition had been something she dreaded for so long … and then even after she’d made it through into adulthood, her wings had just been a new part of her, nice enough but useless. But Wyatt clearly appreciated them. So that was very much not useless.</p><p>~~<br/>
Those three days – their first three days together as a pair – were by far the happiest days Wyatt had experienced in years. There was a settled, peaceful feeling inside him now, which he had been missing since Jess died. And while there were still many open questions about their future, Wyatt was so much less worried about them now, with Lucy beside him.</p><p>Some of these questions came up, on their last morning together in the cabin. They were lying in bed, taking it slow; there was no reason to hurry back to Mason’s house, according to what the man had told them in a short message last night. Still, Wyatt knew neither of them were looking forward to going back.</p><p>“So, what would your ideal future look like – once we can be together openly without any obstacles?”</p><p>Lucy’s question, coming as it did out of the blue, made Wyatt blink and turn to look at her. “My ideal future. Huh.” He had thought about it, though it had seemed foolish to do so before now. And now it seemed foolish for a different reason. “Well, I-- I don’t know if you’d ever...”</p><p>Lucy scooted closer. “What? I want to hear it. Don’t worry about whether I’d agree to it or not right now. I just want to know.”</p><p>“All right. Uh, what I’d want for us is...” He smiled as he imagined it again. She wanted to hear it, so he’d tell her. “A quiet little home on Resann, close enough to the city to be convenient but still mostly out in nature. Some kids.” He shrugged. “Aside from that, I’d want you to have some work or focus that makes you happy, and for me to keep-- to be able to go back to defending my people. Not that I want to stop protecting you.”</p><p>Her eyes were soft. After a short pause, she said, “That sounds really nice.”</p><p>“Really? You don’t think it’s too … boring?”</p><p>“No.” She sighed and rolled over onto her back. “Simple, yes. But simple isn’t a bad thing at all. Simple would be a nice change, from every tiny decision having huge ramifications for me, my family name, and potentially other lives I forgot to consider.”</p><p>“Ah.” She had a point, and he could tell she wasn’t being patronizing. And it was good to hear she didn’t hate his imaginary plan, at least. “What about you? What’s your ideal future like?”</p><p>Smiling, she told him, “I want to have some peace and quiet, too. I hadn’t really thought about a specific place, as long as you’re there. But … I do want children, so I-- so we can raise them a different way than I was raised. A better way.”</p><p>At that, he put an arm around her so he could urge her into his arms. “We will,” he promised her, his voice rough. She more than deserved a chance to be part of a warm, loving family. Wherever they ended up, he could give that to her.</p><p>She didn’t seem to want to move from this position, which was fine with Wyatt. He continued to hold her. “Anything else, aside from children?”</p><p>“I want to keep educating people, making sure they know the truth about the Empire and where we’ve come from, what we’re doing,” she said. “Maybe if we all can do a good enough job of that, we can start to change things in bigger ways.”</p><p>Even as he was proud of her for her dedication, Wyatt also allowed himself to feel a rush of happiness that what she wanted wasn’t specific to a location … and that she hadn’t said no to the possibility of living on Resann. Maybe his silly dream could actually become a reality. Someday.</p><p>~</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So sorry for taking so long with this chapter! Self-isolation is doing weird things to my ability to concentrate on writing for long stretches of time. To help make up for the wait, I decided I'd split this last chapter in two. So, what's left will be (should be) a decent-length epilogue.</p><p>Thanks to my beta, Mack_the_Spoon, for her excellent idea about Lucy getting her own tattooed accordance mark.</p><p>Also, thanks so much to everyone who has kept reading and commenting! Hope you all are staying as safe and sane as possible.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>~~<br/>Epilogue<br/>Five Years Later</p>
<p>“Lynne! Amelia! Time to come inside and wash up for dinner now.”</p>
<p>Wyatt watched out the window as his daughters looked up from their playtime at the sound of their mother’s voice. Lynne brushed her hair out of her face with a dirty hand, while Amelia put down the stick she had been using to dig a little riverbed. “Okay, Mommy!” she called.</p>
<p>The two three-year-olds came dashing inside, only for Wyatt to stop them just a few paces in. “Hey, now, you two.” He switched to Resa. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”</p>
<p>They looked at each other, then back at Wyatt, and then Lynne spoke up. “No running inside?” she guessed, in the same language.</p>
<p>“That’s right,” he said with a smile. “So go <i>walk</i> to the bathroom and wash up, my little Warriors.”</p>
<p>As he reached out to touch the tiny spines on each of their faces, the girls grinned and skipped past him to go further into the house.</p>
<p>Lucy came over to stand next to him as they watched through the open bathroom door. Their girls were giggling to each other as they started the (usually pretty messy) process of washing their hands. “How much water do you think is going to end up on the floor this time?” Lucy asked him with a wry smile.</p>
<p>“Oh, just the usual amount,” he answered. “So we’ll hang the floor mat out to dry again.”</p>
<p>She chuckled and then frowned a little, putting one hand to her lower back. She was only four months along, but her back was already bothering her sometimes. Wyatt reached out and began to rub at the spot where her hand was, and his pair closed her eyes in pleasure. “Mmm. Thank you.”</p>
<p>“Any time,” he told her, stepping closer so he could increase the pressure and also lean in and kiss her on the cheek. “I’m sorry the back pain is starting earlier for this one.”</p>
<p>“It’s not too bad,” she said. Then she sighed as he continued the massage, eyes still closed. “But it does seem a little unfair that one baby would start bothering my back earlier than two.”</p>
<p>“It does,” he agreed.</p>
<p>Just as Amelia and Lynne were finishing up, Wyatt turned toward the back door. Had that been a sound from outside? He walked in that direction, reaching for the knives he still wore at his belt every day just in case. It had been years since there had been any reason to fear hostility from any other Resanni – years since his people had learned what he and Lucy had done as part of the movement to change the Empire forever. But that didn’t mean everyone on the planet was friendly toward them...</p>
<p>“Wyatt?” Lucy said in a low voice, from behind him. “Is everything all right?”</p>
<p>“Probably,” he answered. “But-- wait.”</p>
<p>He registered vaguely (with a tiny bit of relief) that his girls were still occupied, chattering about whose towel was whose in the bathroom. Most of his focus, however, was on the Warrior coming toward the house, down from the hill there. He didn’t recognize this Warrior at all. Only the fact that whoever it was was alone and making no attempt to be stealthy kept Wyatt from drawing his blades. Still, Wyatt decided it would be the best idea to go out now, to make it obvious to this stranger that he had been seen.</p>
<p>Just as he came out onto the back steps, Wyatt finally recognized the other Warrior. He nearly choked in shock. Garcia Flynn?! He was alive? He hadn’t been executed all those years ago? More important, what the hell was he doing here?</p>
<p>Flynn stopped several yards away, meeting Wyatt’s eyes with a small smile that somehow managed to be both sheepish and sardonic. “Um. Evening greetings to you, brother.”</p>
<p>He was just going to try to pretend he was a normal visitor? No. Wyatt shook his head and then bared his teeth. “Are you here to attack my pair again, Flynn?” he demanded, hands at his knife belt. He hadn’t been this ready to fight in years. “You should know I have even more reasons to stop you this time. I will die before I let you touch them!”</p>
<p>Flynn put up his hands. His wrist spines were flat. “No – no, I promise I don’t mean you or your family harm.” Then he opened his mouth again to continue speaking, only to stop and sniff the air. “Is that-- have you taught your Falaran pair how to make <i>inva</i>?”</p>
<p>Wyatt relaxed very slightly. The man wasn’t armed, and didn’t seem aggressive at the moment. “She learned from our neighbor,” he said eventually, knowing Flynn would hear the pride in his voice. “It’s always delicious.”</p>
<p>At that, Flynn seemed to have been left at a loss for words. That was before Lucy opened the back door. Wyatt heard her gasp. “Garcia Flynn? You’re alive?”</p>
<p>“Yes. I’m sure it’s not very pleasant for you to see me again,” he said. He looked down, and then swallowed. “I can leave if you want. But I wanted to find you both, and … well, I wanted to see how you were doing, and apologize, as well as...” After both of them stared at him for several seconds, he scoffed and said, “Well, I realize this wouldn’t even be a good time for a visitor you were expecting. Sorry. Enjoy your dinner.”</p>
<p>And then before either of them could say anything in response to that, the other Warrior turned and walked back up the path he had just come down.</p>
<p>“Mommy, who was that man?”</p>
<p>Wyatt and Lucy looked down at Amelia, who was standing between the two of them. Lynne was behind her sister. They were both watching Flynn disappear over the hill.</p>
<p>“He’s a, uh… He’s someone Mommy and Daddy met a long time ago, before you two were born.”</p>
<p>“A friend?” Lynne asked. She turned her wide, dark brown eyes up to her parents. Those eyes that were so much like her mother’s.</p>
<p>Wyatt glanced at Lucy. Lucy gave the tiniest shrug and quirk of her mouth. “We don’t really know him well enough to say whether he’s a friend or not,” Wyatt said finally.</p>
<p>“Oh.” The little girl looked disappointed.</p>
<p>“Maybe he’ll come back later!” said Amelia, nudging her sister. Lynne smiled and nodded.</p>
<p>“Yeah, maybe,” said Lucy. “Anyway, it’s dinnertime, girls. Let’s go.”</p>
<p>It wasn’t until after the meal, and after the girls were engrossed in using their blocks to build houses for their dolls, that Wyatt and Lucy had a real chance to talk about their unexpected visitor. “So, do you think Flynn will actually come back?”</p>
<p>He sighed and set down the last dish in the drying rack. “I … don’t know? He sounded like he wanted to really talk to us, not just appear and then disappear. So maybe.”</p>
<p>She nodded. “That would make sense,” she agreed. “Unless the fact that we have a family now makes that too painful for him.”</p>
<p>Wincing, Wyatt said, “I hadn’t thought about that.” He’d only been thinking about the possible risks to his own family.</p>
<p>“Well,” she said after a brief pause, “it’s up to him, I guess. Now that we know he’s alive and in the area, at least it won’t be as much of a shock if he does show up again.”</p>
<p>“And you’re all right with the idea of him being here?” He tried his best not to sound either accusing or panicky.</p>
<p>She bit her lip, and then said, “I think so. I don’t think he would have ever been a threat to me, after that first attempt of course. In different circumstances, he could even have been an ally.”</p>
<p>Wyatt wanted to reject that idea outright, but he stopped himself. She was probably right. After all, Flynn’s goal had been the same as his and Lucy’s: to stop the unchecked spread of the Empire’s power. It was only (and he almost scoffed) Flynn’s methods that had been very different. But it was also true that no Resanni, Warrior or otherwise, would purposefully cause any harm to another Resanni’s family. Amelia and Lynne – not to mention the little one who was still yet to come – were protecting their family by their very existence. To kill a child was to transgress against <i>risa</i>.</p>
<p>“You’re right,” he told his pair. “Besides, even the Flynn we met all those years ago would never harm a child.”</p>
<p>“He wouldn’t,” Lucy agreed. She sighed and leaned back into him. “I wonder if he’s found love again, since the invasion.”</p>
<p>Wyatt thought about how the other Warrior had looked today, and shook his head. “I don’t think so.”</p>
<p>“Well.” She turned around so that she could put her arms around him. “Maybe he still will.”</p>
<p>“Maybe.”</p>
<p>~<br/>It was early in the afternoon, after lunch and after Wyatt had a little time to relax after coming home from his teaching shift at the local training grounds. That timing, Wyatt thought later, was probably on purpose. It meant that both he and Lucy were at home. It wasn’t a mealtime. So Garcia Flynn could show up again, and not cause any major disruption.</p>
<p>The man came to the front door this time, knocking once before Wyatt opened it. “Greetings again,” he said to Wyatt. As before, he was unarmed and standing in a nonthreatening posture. “May I come in?”</p>
<p>Wyatt still wasn’t able to bring himself to be extremely welcoming, but he did nod and step aside.</p>
<p>Once he was inside, Flynn looked around, and then saw Lucy with the twins standing one on each side of her, staring at him shyly. “Hello,” he said in Standard, crouching down just a bit to be closer to their level. “And how old are you two?”</p>
<p>“Three,” said Amelia in the same language, after a few seconds. “Both of us.”</p>
<p>“’Cuz we’re twins,” said Lynne. Then she looked at Wyatt. “Why isn’t he talking like you do, Daddy?” she asked in Resa. “That’s funny.”</p>
<p>At that, Lucy hid a smile. Flynn saved Wyatt having to come up with a response by laughing and switching to Resa. “I didn’t know which way of talking you like best, little Warriors. But thank you, I’m glad you think I’m funny.”</p>
<p>While the girls laughed, he looked up at Lucy. “Not meaning to be rude,” he said in Standard.</p>
<p>“It’s fine,” Lucy replied, in her accented but very clear Resa. “Lynne, Amelia, this is <i>Vara</i> Garcia Flynn.”</p>
<p>Both girls gave the correct polite response, and then giggled at Flynn’s full, courtly bows to each of them. Then Lynne looked at Lucy. “Can we go play now, Mommy?”</p>
<p>Once dismissed, they ran off, leaving the three adults standing in the entryway. But before it could get too awkward, Flynn cleared his throat and said, “You and your pair have a beautiful family, Lady Lucy. May they bring you honor as they help us keep <i>risa</i>.”</p>
<p>This was all said in Resa again, with Flynn speaking distinctly but not anymore slowly than normal. Wyatt, who was honestly moved by their former enemy showing how his attitude toward Lucy had changed so completely, was still ready to jump in if he needed to. His pair hadn’t had much exposure to the northern dialect, after all.</p>
<p>“Thank you,” Lucy said, with a soft smile. She turned to Wyatt, and he saw her notice the moisture he was doing his best not to show gathering in his eyes. Her own eyes widened a little. “Uh, please – come in and sit down. What would you prefer we call you?”</p>
<p>“Flynn is fine,” said the man, following them into the sitting room. He looked around, and it was obvious he was still not totally comfortable being here. But it was also obvious he had made up his mind to do this.</p>
<p>Wyatt almost forgot, but was glad he remembered to break out their store of sweet <i>harola</i> wine in time to not be rude to their guest. This traditional beverage was flavorful and low in alcohol content, as was usual. When he and Lucy had opened this particular bottle with their last guests (their neighbors to the west, a nice older Crafter couple), Wyatt had been pleased to find that he hadn’t lost his taste in <i>harola</i>. It was the first bottle they had bought themselves, after getting through the various bottles given to them as gifts from their new neighbors almost four years ago. And in Wyatt’s opinion, the variety that he’d chosen was the best.</p>
<p>“Oh,” said Flynn, when Wyatt came in with a tray of three matching mugs of <i>harola</i>. He blinked, and accepted his mug. “Thank you.”</p>
<p>For a few minutes, they all were quiet as they sipped their beverage (Lucy’s was more like water with a splash of wine, just to be safe). Lynne and Amelia continued to play happily, and Flynn seemed lost in thought. Then he cleared his throat and set down his mug on the end table. “I found you two because I wanted to apologize,” he said, getting down to business without waiting any further. “I-- I know an apology isn’t really enough for what I did. What I tried to do. But I felt I ought to come and tell you in person anyway.”</p>
<p>Wyatt gripped the handle of his mug, deciding not to say anything. Even though he believed Flynn was sincere and knew he wouldn’t harm Lucy now, thinking back to his first meeting with the man was enough to bring back the fear and anxiety of that moment. Still, Lucy was the one who Flynn had wronged the most. It was up to her to set the tone here.</p>
<p>She took a deep breath, and then said, “Well, I don’t blame you for viewing the Empire – and my family – as the enemy during that time. And as you can tell, Wyatt’s and my family hasn’t suffered as a result of what you did.”</p>
<p>“But the intent was there,” Flynn said. “If your pair has taught you well about our people’s concept of <i>risa</i>, as I’m guessing he has...”</p>
<p>Here he paused, and both Wyatt and Lucy confirmed that she had learned about <i>risa</i>.</p>
<p>“All right.” Flynn swallowed hard and went on, in a very quiet voice, “Then as part of that, perhaps you’ve learned that for a Warrior to seek to kill another Warrior’s pair is a monstrous thing. It’s regarded as the same as having an intent to purposefully disrupt that crucial balance. It’s one of the worst sins a Warrior can commit.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” said Lucy, looking horrified, “but no, you--”</p>
<p>“Please, let me finish,” Flynn said. Lucy stopped speaking, although it was obvious she wasn’t happy about it. He stood up then, only for long enough to kneel in front of Wyatt. “I know that your family doesn’t need another protector. I wouldn’t insult you by suggesting otherwise. But please, if you can still consider me a brother and fellow Warrior, let me enter <i>terva</i> on your family’s behalf.”</p>
<p>Wyatt was aware his jaw had dropped. He pushed himself ungracefully out of the chair to stand up. Flynn stayed where he was. The man was serious.</p>
<p>“What--?” Lucy cleared her throat. “What’s going on? What is <i>terva</i>?”</p>
<p>The girls looked up from their game. They had definitely noticed this visitor’s strange actions. “Daddy?” Amelia said, eyes wide.</p>
<p>“It’s all right, little flower,” Wyatt said quickly. “You and your sister can keep playing.”</p>
<p>They both hesitated, but then went back to their game when their mother (who was now standing, too) reassured them, too. Then Lucy lowered her voice and repeated, “What is <i>terva</i>? Just a brief explanation is fine, since I’m guessing you won’t stand up until Wyatt answers you, Flynn.”</p>
<p>That was true. Wyatt gathered his thoughts. “It’s a way for Warriors to repay a life debt. It’s, uh, an oath that the indebted Warrior swears, to complete a task or a term of service on behalf of the person they’re in debt to.”</p>
<p>Lucy blinked, and looked at Flynn. “Wow. So, what is it you’re offering to do?”</p>
<p>“I will be your family’s protector, from a distance,” said Flynn immediately. He had been thinking about this for a while, it was clear. “I will spend my life traveling throughout the Empire, gathering information about any threats to your family, and eliminating them if necessary.”</p>
<p>Wyatt glanced at his pair. He saw her shock and alarm, though she was trying not to make it too obvious. “Um. Wow,” she said again.</p>
<p>Wyatt gave her a quick gesture, hoping she would let him try to talk him down from that level of intensity first. “We recognize and honor your desire to make things right, and recognize your ability to do so,” he said, dredging up the ceremonial words as best he could. Oddly enough, he’d never had personal experience with this kind of situation before. From the way some of the tension left Flynn’s shoulders, he thought he’d said the correct response. Now, to figure out a way to maintain the man’s honor, without sending him off as a hired assassin.</p>
<p>“What about something with a broader focus?” Lucy interjected in Resa, and then blushed. “I-- I apologize if I’m skipping some part of a formal response here. But I have an idea that I think would fit your talents well and also fulfill your honorable desire, Flynn.”</p>
<p>With this evidence that the two of them were going to accept his offer in some form, Flynn stood up (to Lucy’s clear relief). “No apology is necessary, Lady Lucy. Please, tell me your idea.”</p>
<p>“We need someone to be in charge of our intelligence operations,” she said, switching to Standard. “We need someone who can be the point person who all the rest of the people in our network report to, and who can work with us and with them to decide where we need more people, or more focus. And we would value your experience and wisdom for any threat assessments, too.”</p>
<p>Wyatt went over to take Lucy’s hand. This was a perfect idea, and he wished it wouldn’t be rude to Flynn for him to tell her that right now. He’d tell her later, that was for sure.</p>
<p>For his part, Flynn’s eyes were wide. He looked stunned. “I-- This is beyond what I deserve for what I’ve done. But if you entrust me with this position, I will accept it.”</p>
<p>“Good.” Lucy smiled.</p>
<p>“Then it’s settled, and you can begin your <i>terva</i> as soon as you’re ready,” said Wyatt, nodding to the other <i>vara</i>. “We’ll provide you with the details and contacts you’ll need.”</p>
<p>They shook hands – a real show of trust between Warriors, when any aggression at all could lead to one or both of the participants using their wrist spines on the other without much effort. Then Flynn nodded to the two of them. “Thank you both for your hospitality and for introducing me to your children. I won’t take up any more of your time right now, but I will make sure you can contact me when you want.” With that, he left, making sure to smile and wave at the twins as he went.</p>
<p>As they watched him walk down the front walk, Wyatt let out a slow breath. That had not gone at all how he had expected. Not that he’d really known what to expect.</p>
<p>“I think he’s going to be really helpful to the cause,” said Lucy, breaking the silence.</p>
<p>Wyatt smiled and pulled her close (taking care as always not to press her into his shoulder spines). “Yeah, I think he will – thanks to your brilliant idea.”</p>
<p>She looked up at him, seeming surprised at his sincerity. ‘Well, it’s just-- logical. I mean, he needed a task, we needed someone who could take charge of that part of our operations...”</p>
<p>“I agree completely,” he cut in gently. “And you thought of it, while I was still stuck on how unbelievable it was that this was happening at all.”</p>
<p>“Well, I guess that’s the benefit of having barely any idea of what was going on,” she said with a wry smile. “I was free to come up with a solution to the problem that I only sort of understood.”</p>
<p>Laughing, Wyatt turned away from the window and toward the room where Lynne and Amelia were playing. “We make a pretty good team, don’t we?”</p>
<p>“Yes, we do.”</p>
<p>~~</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Welllll, life got crazy again - but here's the last bit, finally. Thank you again to all who read and commented. I have a few ideas for scenes that didn't fit into this story, so there may be more to come in this universe.</p>
<p>Also, I know there's no particular reason for the kids to have names that are close to their canon ones in this universe, but I didn't want to change them completely. *shrug*</p>
<p>Hope you're all staying safe and sane!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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